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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. season — of the year
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. can — a tin
  6. degree — from a university
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. can — a tin
  9. press — to push
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mate — to breed
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — in sport
  18. degree — an amount
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mate — a friend
  23. can — to be able to
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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