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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
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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: bear · spell · chest · press · wax · tube · mouse · rule

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. chest — a box
  8. spell — magic
  9. bear — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spell — letters
  14. tube — a container
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rule — government
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. tube — the underground
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rule — a law

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