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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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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: bear · rock · straw · staff · press · track · board · wax

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. press — a publisher
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bear — the animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. press — newspapers
  8. staff — employees
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wax — to grow
  12. board — a committee
  13. staff — employees
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. press — to push
  16. board — to get on
  17. rock — music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. track — a song
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. track — a path

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