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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 124 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. scale — size or range
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. charge — electricity
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. scale — in music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. press — to push
  14. charge — in control
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kid — child
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. charge — a price
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. branch — a division
  23. kid — to tease
  24. scale — for weighing

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