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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 120 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: key · coach · wave · hide · press · wax · cell · ball

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. key — in music
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. press — newspapers
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wax — to grow
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. ball — a great time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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