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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. press — a publisher
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. press — to push
  6. last — finally
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bass — the fish
  12. press — newspapers
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bass — low music
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. last — to go on
  22. stock — goods
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fan — a supporter

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