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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: sharp · rest · bass · wave · tear · bowl · press · clip

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. sharp — clever
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. press — to push
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. press — newspapers
  15. clip — a video
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bass — low music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. clip — for paper
  23. tear — from crying
  24. sharp — with an edge

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