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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: bat · toast · bay · bank · wax · object · staff · press

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. toast — bread
  3. bank — for money
  4. object — to protest
  5. press — a publisher
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. object — a thing
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bank — for money
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. press — newspapers
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. object — an aim
  19. staff — employees
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. press — to push
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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