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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fall — to drop
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lean — thin
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fall — the season
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. swing — in golf
  20. press — to push
  21. ball — a great time
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. wax — for sculpting

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