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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. foot — a measure
  3. press — a publisher
  4. dip — to sink
  5. file — a tool
  6. ball — a dance
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ball — a great time
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. press — to push
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. capital — a city
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. capital — money
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wave — of the sea

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