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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. press — to push
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. last — finally
  12. bound — obliged
  13. last — final
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bound — tied together
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. last — to go on
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — certain
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cell — a phone
  24. press — a publisher

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