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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. season — in sport
  3. cell — a phone
  4. toast — bread
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. press — newspapers
  8. season — of the year
  9. press — a publisher
  10. kick — in football
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. press — to push
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hide — animal skin

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