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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. land — a country
  3. saw — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. land — ground
  13. last — finally
  14. can — a tin
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. press — to push
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. object — to protest
  20. can — to be able to
  21. land — to come down
  22. rush — hurry
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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