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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. press — a publisher
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. hand — help
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. press — to push
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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