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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: foot · wax · key · net · game · race · mug · press

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. race — humankind
  3. mug — a cup
  4. net — in sport
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. net — after costs
  8. mug — a face
  9. press — newspapers
  10. game — wild animals
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. key — for a lock
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mug — to rob
  17. key — in music
  18. press — to push
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. key — the most important part
  21. game — a match
  22. net — for catching
  23. press — a publisher
  24. game — a kind of play

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