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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.

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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: dip · deal · wax · key · cell · saw · wake · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. deal — to handle
  3. dip — to sink
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. press — newspapers
  8. key — for a lock
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. key — the most important part
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cell — a phone
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. key — in music
  24. wax — in the ear

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