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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · hide · racket · wax · press · craft

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. kid — child
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — to tease
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. press — to push
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. racket — a loud noise

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