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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · bear · wave · press · rash · land · fan · arm

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. press — to push
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. land — a country
  21. rash — a series
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fan — to cool the air

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