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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. content — the amount
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. content — happy
  9. press — to push
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. row — to paddle
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cell — a phone
  21. row — a line
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mouse — the animal

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