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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. club — for golf
  3. lean — to bend
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lean — thin
  10. toast — bread
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. press — to push
  22. club — a group
  23. season — in sport
  24. wind — moving air

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