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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. press — a publisher
  4. dip — to sink
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. face — part of the head
  13. capital — money
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bass — low music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. kick — in football
  20. bear — the animal
  21. face — to confront
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. press — to push
  24. bass — the fish

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