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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rock — music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mate — a partner
  9. press — to push
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. degree — temperature
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rock — a stone
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bear — the animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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