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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: wake · arm · press · net · can · stick · cell · wax

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. can — a tin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. press — a publisher
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. wax — to grow
  16. press — to push
  17. wake — a trail
  18. can — to be able to
  19. net — in sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. can — a tin
  24. cell — a phone

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