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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: mine · leaves · wax · stand · press · chest · ground · rock

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rock — music
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. chest — a box

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