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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. press — to push
  4. firm — decided
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. firm — a company
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to point toward
  17. firm — steady
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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