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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: press · sharp · pound · cap · date · hand · wax · leaves

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. press — to push
  6. date — the fruit
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. sharp — clever
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cap — of ice
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. hand — in cards
  16. press — newspapers
  17. hand — help
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wax — to grow
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cap — a hat
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. press — a publisher

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