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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 120 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. last — final
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stock — goods
  8. present — a gift
  9. last — to go on
  10. stock — shares
  11. firm — steady
  12. last — finally
  13. firm — decided
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wake — a trail
  19. press — to push
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. present — there
  24. firm — a company

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