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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
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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: content · march · wax · board · cell · rule · press · wake

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wax — to grow
  6. board — to get on
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rule — government
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. content — happy
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rule — a law
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. press — to push
  18. march — the month
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. press — a publisher
  21. board — a committee
  22. wake — a trail
  23. content — the amount
  24. press — newspapers

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