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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wind — moving air
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. spring — the season
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. spring — of water
  13. rule — government
  14. content — the amount
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rule — a law
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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