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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. press — newspapers
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. press — to push
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wake — a trail
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wound — an injury

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