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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: rule · wax · roll · lie · bay · press · date · last

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lie — to recline
  4. last — to go on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. press — to push
  7. roll — a list
  8. rule — a law
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. last — final
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. last — finally
  13. press — newspapers
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rule — government
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wax — to grow
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. roll — on a roll

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