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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
468
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: fan · wax · bowl · press · leaves · mark · wave · bat

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. press — newspapers
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bat — the animal

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