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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. press — a publisher
  3. file — a document
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. capital — money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — low music
  8. file — a tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. date — the fruit
  11. press — to push
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bass — the fish
  21. press — newspapers
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. date — on the calendar

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