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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — to rob
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. kick — in football
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. snap — to click
  17. press — a publisher
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mug — a face
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wind — moving air
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. press — to push

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