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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 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. press — to push
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. firm — decided
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. race — humankind
  9. file — a document
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. race — a contest
  12. press — a publisher
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. firm — a company
  20. press — newspapers
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. firm — steady
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. dip — to sink

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