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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cold — an illness
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. press — newspapers
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rock — a stone
  20. scale — in music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rock — music

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