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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ground — a position
  6. last — to go on
  7. press — a publisher
  8. roll — a list
  9. ground — the earth
  10. charge — electricity
  11. last — finally
  12. charge — in control
  13. press — to push
  14. last — final
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cold — not warm
  19. hand — help
  20. roll — a cake
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cold — an illness
  23. charge — a price
  24. hand — in cards

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