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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pop — music
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. roll — a list
  13. shower — rain
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — to push
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. roll — a cake
  20. date — the fruit
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wave — with your hand

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