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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bank — of a river
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cap — a hat
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. press — to push
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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