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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · cabinet · ruler · saw · wave · press · stick · club

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. saw — the tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. club — for golf
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. club — a group
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — for dancing
  24. saw — the tool

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