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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cell — a phone
  4. spell — letters
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. date — the fruit
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cell — in biology
  10. spell — magic
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. press — to push
  21. rock — music
  22. press — newspapers
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wave — of the sea

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