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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wax — to grow
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. press — a publisher
  8. capital — money
  9. rush — hurry
  10. snap — to click
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. press — to push
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. capital — a city
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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