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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. land — to come down
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tear — from crying
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pop — music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. tear — to rip
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. press — newspapers
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. land — a country
  19. pop — to visit
  20. toast — bread
  21. press — to push
  22. pop — soda
  23. tear — from crying
  24. land — ground

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