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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 116 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. kid — to tease
  7. press — newspapers
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rule — government
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. face — to confront
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. press — to push
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. kid — child
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rule — a law
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cap — a hat
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bowl — to roll

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