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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. press — a publisher
  7. field — farmland
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pit — in a race
  11. field — for sport
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. press — newspapers
  14. field — a subject
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. press — to push
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hide — to keep secret

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