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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. press — to push
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. drill — army training
  8. press — newspapers
  9. current — happening now
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. current — of water
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pit — a hole
  19. current — electric
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. drill — the tool

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