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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: stick · wax · straw · toast · press · mate · court · mark

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mark — a grade
  6. court — of a king
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. court — for sport
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mark — a trace
  12. court — of law
  13. wax — to grow
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mate — a friend
  23. toast — bread
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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