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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: press · temple · mate · rash · spring · prune · wax · object

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. spring — the season
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. object — a thing
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wax — to grow
  9. spring — a coil
  10. object — an aim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rash — a series
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. object — to protest
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. spring — of water

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