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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bound — certain
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cap — a hat
  12. court — for sport
  13. row — a line
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wind — moving air
  21. court — of a king
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. court — of law

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