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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 116 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kick — in football
  6. present — a gift
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rest — a break
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ground — a position
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. present — there
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. mug — a face
  17. press — a publisher
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ground — the earth
  20. present — the time now
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mug — a cup
  24. lie — to recline

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