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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. present — there
  4. foot — a measure
  5. press — newspapers
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. press — a publisher
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. present — the time now
  16. shower — to wash
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. press — to push
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. present — a gift
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mark — a grade

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