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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bound — obliged
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — a thing
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. press — newspapers
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bound — certain
  15. object — to protest
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. press — to push
  19. face — to confront
  20. dip — to sink
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. object — an aim
  24. press — a publisher

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