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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: sharp · wax · roll · toast · nail · band · cold · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cold — not warm
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. band — a music group
  15. toast — bread
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — to push
  18. cold — an illness
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. roll — a list

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