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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. object — a thing
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mug — a face
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fall — the season
  8. net — in sport
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wake — a trail
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. fall — to drop
  17. press — to push
  18. object — to protest
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mug — to rob
  22. object — an aim
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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