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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. court — of law
  11. swing — to play on
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. swing — music
  17. press — to push
  18. staff — a stick
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spring — the season

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