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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. firm — a company
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. firm — decided
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. firm — steady
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hand — help
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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