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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. firm — a company
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. current — happening now
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. firm — steady
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. current — of water
  10. firm — decided
  11. current — electric
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rash — a series
  21. press — newspapers
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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