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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pop — soda
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pop — music
  6. press — newspapers
  7. suit — to fit
  8. press — a publisher
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. tear — from crying
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. branch — a division
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pop — to visit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. press — to push
  24. face — to confront

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