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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
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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: last · can · firm · clip · wax · press · bowl · lie

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lie — to recline
  3. clip — for paper
  4. press — to push
  5. can — a tin
  6. press — a publisher
  7. last — to go on
  8. can — a tin
  9. last — finally
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. firm — decided
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. firm — a company
  16. clip — a video
  17. wax — to grow
  18. firm — steady
  19. clip — to cut
  20. last — final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lie — an untruth

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