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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spell — a short time
  4. press — a publisher
  5. spell — letters
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spell — magic
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. press — to push
  22. rush — hurry
  23. arm — part of the body
  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