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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. kick — in football
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. scale — size or range
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. press — to push
  12. field — for sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — in music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rush — hurry
  24. press — a publisher

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