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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: wax · pitch · fork · fan · wind · press · wound · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fork — in a road
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitch — completely
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. press — to push
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pitch — a sports field

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