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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. press — to push
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. present — the time now
  6. charge — in control
  7. pitch — completely
  8. spring — the season
  9. kick — in football
  10. press — newspapers
  11. spring — a coil
  12. press — a publisher
  13. staff — a stick
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. present — there
  16. spring — of water
  17. staff — employees
  18. present — a gift
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. charge — a price
  24. staff — employees

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