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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: prune · wax · ball · press · cap · firm · rash · cabinet

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. press — to push
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cap — of ice
  7. firm — decided
  8. ball — a great time
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. firm — steady
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. firm — a company
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rash — a series

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