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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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Word bank
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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: bear · wave · toast · roll · bound · swing · press · chip

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bound — obliged
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bound — tied together
  11. swing — music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. press — to push
  14. toast — bread
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. roll — a list
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bound — certain
  22. roll — a cake
  23. press — a publisher
  24. roll — on a roll

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