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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: wind · press · file · bank · wax · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wind — moving air
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bank — for money
  12. chest — a box
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chest — of your body
  16. file — a line of people
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wax — to grow

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