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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 120 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: press · mine · pass · nail · row · mate · wave · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. row — a line
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. press — to push
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mine — for digging
  24. press — a publisher

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