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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. perch — the fish
  3. can — a tin
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. tube — a container
  9. press — newspapers
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. roll — a cake
  20. press — to push
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. roll — a list
  23. can — a tin
  24. dip — to dunk

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