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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. game — wild animals
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. season — in sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ground — a position
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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