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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wax — to grow
  8. press — a publisher
  9. row — to paddle
  10. firm — decided
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. firm — a company
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. content — the amount
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. firm — steady
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. face — to confront
  24. row — a line

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