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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rush — hurry
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. ground — a position
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. press — to push
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ground — crushed
  20. game — a match
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tube — in a tire

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