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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. ground — a position
  7. club — for golf
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ground — the earth
  14. club — for dancing
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. mug — a cup
  18. firm — steady
  19. press — newspapers
  20. club — a group
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mug — a face
  24. press — to push

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