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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · press · leaves · ball · perch · racket · squash · lie

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. squash — the sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lie — to recline
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ball — a dance
  14. press — newspapers
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ball — a great time

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