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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fork — in a road
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. press — newspapers
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. press — to push
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rest — what's left
  16. press — a publisher
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rest — a break
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. object — to protest

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