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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. charge — a price
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. charge — in control
  11. press — to push
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kick — in football
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. charge — electricity
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pass — to spend time

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