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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. press — a publisher
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. foot — a measure
  12. press — to push
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rule — government
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to sink
  22. content — the amount
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. content — happy

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