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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: pound · wax · stock · stand · file · wake · press · present

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. present — a gift
  13. file — a document
  14. stock — goods
  15. present — the time now
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. present — there
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stock — shares
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stand — on your feet

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