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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cold — not warm
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chip — for betting
  10. swing — music
  11. chip — to eat
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. press — to push
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — in golf
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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