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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. press — newspapers
  3. face — to confront
  4. rest — a break
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. face — to point toward
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. face — part of the head
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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