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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: chip · hand · pitch · wax · present · press · spell · fan

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. spell — a short time
  3. press — to push
  4. spell — magic
  5. present — a gift
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitch — completely
  10. spell — letters
  11. wax — to grow
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. present — there
  15. hand — help
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. present — the time now
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. hand — in cards

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