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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. press — newspapers
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stock — goods
  13. press — to push
  14. bark — to shout
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stock — shares
  19. object — a thing
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. patient — a sick person

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