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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. press — a publisher
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. content — the amount
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rush — hurry
  9. hand — help
  10. press — newspapers
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. press — to push
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wave — with your hand

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