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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
468
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: bass · file · can · wax · press · stick · craft · cap

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. press — a publisher
  10. file — a document
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wax — to grow
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — boats
  19. cap — of ice
  20. craft — a skill
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bass — low music
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bass — the fish

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