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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · net · wax · squash · fan · wave · mark · press

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. scale — in music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mark — a trace
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. press — to push
  21. net — after costs
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — to crush
  24. scale — for weighing

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