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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. press — to push
  5. rash — a series
  6. press — newspapers
  7. spring — of water
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rash — hasty
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chest — a box
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mate — a friend
  20. spring — the season
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — a partner

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