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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rest — a break
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pop — soda
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pop — music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. craft — boats
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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