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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: race · wax · leaves · key · press · deal · spring · bear

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. race — humankind
  3. press — newspapers
  4. deal — to handle
  5. race — a contest
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — the season
  10. bear — the animal
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. spring — a coil
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. key — in music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. press — a publisher
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. press — to push
  24. race — the arms race

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