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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · chair · press · wax · degree · cap · coach · squash

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. press — to push
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. press — newspapers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cap — of ice
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bear — the animal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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