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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. press — newspapers
  8. last — finally
  9. press — to push
  10. spell — a short time
  11. craft — boats
  12. last — to go on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pop — soda
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pop — to visit
  19. last — final
  20. spell — magic
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pop — music
  24. spell — letters

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