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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. press — to push
  3. land — ground
  4. face — to confront
  5. land — a country
  6. saw — the tool
  7. current — of water
  8. shower — rain
  9. face — part of the head
  10. shower — to wash
  11. current — happening now
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lie — to recline
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. press — a publisher
  19. land — to come down
  20. press — newspapers
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. face — to point toward
  24. current — electric

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