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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: press · stock · nail · wax · kid · bowl · mug · rush

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. press — a publisher
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. press — newspapers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mug — to rob
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rush — hurry
  15. press — to push
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stock — shares
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. kid — child
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stock — goods

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