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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. press — to push
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chair — a leader
  10. tear — to rip
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rash — a series
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mug — a face
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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