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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: mouse · pop · net · plane · fork · wax · press · spring

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pop — music
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. net — in sport
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pop — soda
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. press — to push
  13. net — for catching
  14. press — a publisher
  15. net — after costs
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wax — for sculpting

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