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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. press — a publisher
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. press — newspapers
  7. swing — music
  8. face — to confront
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — to push
  23. spring — the season
  24. mouse — for a computer

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