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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: wax · chest · ball · fall · press · straw · mouse · bulb

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chest — a box
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fall — to drop
  7. press — to push
  8. fall — to drop
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ball — a great time
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wax — to grow
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fall — the season
  24. chest — of your body

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