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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. chest — a box
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. press — a publisher
  5. season — in sport
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. craft — boats
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mug — to rob
  13. press — newspapers
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ball — a dance
  18. season — of the year
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a great time
  23. press — to push
  24. mug — a cup

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