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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rest — a break
  8. press — to push
  9. row — a line
  10. spell — letters
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. board — a committee
  13. spell — magic
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — all right
  18. press — newspapers
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pit — a hole

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