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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. row — to paddle
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. press — to push
  18. suit — in cards
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. row — a line

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