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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rock — a stone
  4. press — a publisher
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rock — music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lean — thin
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. root — of a plant
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lean — to bend
  24. swing — music

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