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

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. press — to push
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — newspapers
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wake — a trail

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