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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wax — to grow
  5. press — to push
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — the animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com