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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hand — help
  6. mug — a cup
  7. file — a document
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. band — a music group
  16. file — a tool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mug — a face
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. press — to push
  21. face — to confront
  22. hand — in cards
  23. band — a ring
  24. press — a publisher

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