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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · cue · cell · bowl · press · fan · land · mark

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. press — to push
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — to come down
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wax — to grow
  24. press — newspapers

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