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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. press — to push
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. firm — steady
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. drill — the tool
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. row — a line
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. scale — in music
  13. toast — bread
  14. firm — a company
  15. row — to paddle
  16. tear — from crying
  17. press — newspapers
  18. tear — from crying
  19. drill — army training
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. press — a publisher
  22. drill — a practice
  23. firm — decided
  24. tear — to rip

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