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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 120 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wax — to grow
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bass — low music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. plane — a tool
  9. press — to push
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bass — the fish
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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