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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. spell — letters
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. spell — magic
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. press — to push
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rest — a break
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spell — a short time
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitch — completely
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rest — what's left

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