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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. fall — the season
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. press — newspapers
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. land — a country
  10. last — final
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. press — a publisher
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. fall — to drop
  20. last — to go on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. press — to push

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