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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. press — to push
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. saw — the tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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