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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. band — a music group
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mark — a grade
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. press — to push
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pass — a permit
  14. land — ground
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — to come down
  17. band — a ring
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — a trace
  21. land — a country
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wave — of the sea

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