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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — a grade
  9. row — to paddle
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. row — a line
  13. rule — a law
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. press — a publisher
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rule — government
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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