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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 · track · wind · wake · press · swing · wax · cabinet

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wind — moving air
  10. track — a song
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. track — a path
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. press — to push
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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