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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. board — a committee
  7. press — a publisher
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hand — help
  11. board — to get on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. press — newspapers
  15. dip — to sink
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. season — of the year
  19. bass — the fish
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bass — low music

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