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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: toast · press · dip · trunk · ground · wax · key · rush

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. key — in music
  7. toast — bread
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ground — crushed
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ground — a position
  16. press — newspapers
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wax — for sculpting

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