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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: shower · bat · press · wax · march · plane · ball · object

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. press — newspapers
  3. march — the month
  4. object — a thing
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. object — an aim
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wax — to grow
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. ball — a great time
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. object — to protest
  16. march — the month
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. plane — a tool
  24. march — music

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