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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pop — soda
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. press — newspapers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — music
  10. season — of the year
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. press — to push
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. season — in sport
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pop — to visit
  23. hide — animal skin
  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