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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. press — newspapers
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. last — finally
  10. file — a line of people
  11. press — to push
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. last — final
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. press — a publisher
  23. last — to go on
  24. straw — a straw man

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