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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. present — there
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. saw — the tool
  7. press — to push
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. present — a gift
  17. chest — a box
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. present — the time now
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mouse — the animal

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