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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: mark · wax · staff · object · kid · press · wind · pitcher

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. object — to protest
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wind — moving air
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — a publisher
  8. staff — employees
  9. kid — to tease
  10. staff — employees
  11. press — newspapers
  12. object — an aim
  13. mark — a trace
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. object — a thing
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. press — to push
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mark — to pay attention

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