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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pit — in a race
  3. press — a publisher
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ground — a position
  12. mate — a partner
  13. season — of the year
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. staff — employees
  21. pit — a hole
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. ground — crushed
  24. season — in sport

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