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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: sharp · bulb · rush · wound · bowl · press · wax · staff

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. staff — a stick
  3. press — a publisher
  4. staff — employees
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rush — hurry
  24. press — newspapers

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