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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.

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: press · plane · degree · rush · straw · wax · bear · bay

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. press — newspapers
  3. plane — a tool
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bear — the animal
  24. straw — dry grass

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