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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ground — a position
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. march — the month
  8. pop — soda
  9. march — the month
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. face — to confront
  14. bulb — for light
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. march — music
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lean — thin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — music
  24. face — to point toward

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