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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.

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: leaves · press · wax · dip · date · object · chair · mine

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. object — a thing
  8. date — the fruit
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mine — for digging
  14. press — newspapers
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. dip — to sink
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. chair — to sit on

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