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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wind — moving air
  6. last — final
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. last — finally
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. field — farmland
  13. fine — all right
  14. last — to go on
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. can — a tin
  18. field — for sport
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — a subject
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fine — high quality

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