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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. content — happy
  3. cue — a hint
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. content — the amount
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. face — to point toward
  14. press — to push
  15. face — to confront
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cue — a signal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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