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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. press — to push
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stock — shares
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lean — to bend
  13. file — a document
  14. swing — music
  15. stock — goods
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — thin
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. file — a tool
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. press — newspapers

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