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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stand — to bear
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bank — for money
  5. press — a publisher
  6. march — the month
  7. spell — magic
  8. march — the month
  9. present — there
  10. press — to push
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — a gift
  17. spell — letters
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wake — a trail
  23. present — the time now
  24. march — music

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