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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rock — a stone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rock — music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. spell — a short time
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mate — to breed
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — letters
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rush — hurry
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wake — a trail
  23. press — to push
  24. spell — magic

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