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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: cue · hide · press · nail · spell · face · coach · wax

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. spell — magic
  3. wax — to grow
  4. face — to point toward
  5. spell — letters
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — for pool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — to push
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cue — a signal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cue — a hint
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — to confront
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. face — part of the head

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