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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — of water
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spring — the season
  8. press — to push
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. last — final
  13. bank — of a river
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bank — for money
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — a coil
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. last — finally
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. last — to go on
  24. racket — for tennis

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