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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wax · bound · key · fall · wave · racket · date

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. key — in music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. key — for a lock
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fall — the season
  13. date — the fruit
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bound — tied together
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — the most important part
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. racket — for tennis

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