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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. shower — rain
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bass — low music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bulb — for light
  24. press — to push

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