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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. suit — clothes
  8. roll — a list
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. roll — a cake
  19. press — newspapers
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. sharp — clever

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