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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cap — of ice
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cap — a lid
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rash — a series
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. face — to point toward
  22. press — to push
  23. face — to confront
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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