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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: calf · wound · suit · spring · wax · press · sharp · pass

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spring — a coil
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wax — to grow
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. press — newspapers
  12. spring — of water
  13. press — to push
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. suit — to fit
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wound — an injury
  23. sharp — clever
  24. spring — the season

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