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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 116 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. present — there
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. press — a publisher
  9. present — a gift
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. present — the time now
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. press — to push
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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