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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: spell · chest · press · cabinet · wax · spring · coach · mark

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. press — newspapers
  7. spell — letters
  8. spring — of water
  9. spell — a short time
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spell — magic
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. press — to push
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. spring — the season
  22. mark — a trace
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mark — a grade

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