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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: wax · kid · pass · saw · press · ruler · land · foot

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. press — to push
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. press — a publisher
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. land — to come down
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. land — ground
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — a country

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