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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. press — newspapers
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bound — tied together
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bound — certain
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kick — in football
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hand — help
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — a break
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bound — obliged

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