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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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Word bank
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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wind — moving air
  3. press — to push
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — clever
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. press — a publisher
  16. band — a ring
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. press — newspapers
  23. band — a music group
  24. lie — an untruth

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