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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pit — in a race
  4. press — a publisher
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. plane — a tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pit — a hole
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. press — to push
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. press — newspapers

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