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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: wave · swing · arm · safe · game · fall · press · object

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. press — to push
  7. game — a match
  8. object — a thing
  9. game — wild animals
  10. press — newspapers
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fall — the season
  13. object — an aim
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fall — to drop
  16. swing — to play on
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. object — to protest
  24. game — a kind of play

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