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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. saw — the tool
  3. press — to push
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. last — finally
  8. wake — a trail
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lie — to recline

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