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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 116 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: wax · cell · lie · wound · press · drill · snap · hide

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. drill — the tool
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wax — to grow
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. snap — to click
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cell — a phone
  20. press — to push
  21. drill — army training
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. drill — a practice

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