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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · temple · press · net · tube · march · current · wax

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. net — for catching
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — a container
  7. wax — to grow
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. tube — the underground
  10. net — in sport
  11. march — the month
  12. net — after costs
  13. current — happening now
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. current — electric
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. march — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. march — the month
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cabinet — ministers

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