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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 · dip · foot · coach · shower · saw · press · temple

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wax — to grow
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. shower — to wash
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. coach — a trainer

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