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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. last — finally
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. press — to push
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bear — the animal
  15. date — the fruit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. last — to go on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bear — the animal
  24. last — final

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