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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fine — high quality
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spell — letters
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spell — a short time
  9. board — a committee
  10. spell — magic
  11. pop — music
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. press — to push
  16. board — to get on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pop — to visit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fine — all right
  24. pop — soda

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