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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. row — a line
  3. press — to push
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. plane — a tool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cap — a hat
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. row — to paddle
  24. wave — with your hand

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