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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: firm · press · wax · wave · bear · fan · drill · staff

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bear — the animal
  6. press — to push
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. staff — employees
  9. firm — decided
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. firm — a company
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. drill — a practice
  15. staff — employees
  16. wax — to grow
  17. drill — army training
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. firm — steady
  23. press — newspapers
  24. staff — a stick

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