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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 · saw · fan · ball · wax · object · firm · tear

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. object — an aim
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. press — newspapers
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tear — to rip
  9. object — a thing
  10. firm — decided
  11. object — to protest
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. saw — the tool

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