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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 116 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: wave · ground · rock · press · nail · season · wax · lie

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — of the year
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ground — a position
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rock — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — to grow
  17. press — to push
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. press — a publisher
  24. season — to add flavour

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