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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — a face
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spring — the season
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. press — to push
  23. spring — of water
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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