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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 116 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: race · ball · wax · bound · rock · staff · fan · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rock — music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bound — certain
  10. rock — a stone
  11. staff — employees
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ball — a dance
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. staff — employees
  24. race — the arms race

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