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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chest — a box
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chest — of your body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a great time
  10. can — a tin
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. land — a country
  21. press — to push
  22. can — to be able to
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. land — ground

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