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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. board — a committee
  17. foot — a measure
  18. press — to push
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. board — to get on
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rush — a thrill
  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