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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: hide · shower · roll · present · staff · press · trunk · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. press — to push
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. present — there
  7. shower — rain
  8. staff — employees
  9. roll — a cake
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. staff — employees
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. press — newspapers
  21. staff — a stick
  22. present — a gift
  23. shower — to wash
  24. present — the time now

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