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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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bank — of a river
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bank — for money
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wax — to grow
  13. current — of water
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pass — a permit
  16. capital — money
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. capital — a city
  19. press — to push
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pass — to succeed

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