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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. clip — to cut
  15. dip — to sink
  16. press — to push
  17. clip — a video
  18. press — a publisher
  19. face — to confront
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bat — for baseball

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