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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. press — a publisher
  6. spell — letters
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ground — a position
  12. spell — a short time
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. press — to push
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — crushed
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. spell — magic
  24. fan — a supporter

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