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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: press · stock · kid · pound · wax · mate · trunk · lean

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stock — goods
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mate — a friend
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kid — child
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stock — shares
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lean — thin

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