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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mate — to breed
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. press — a publisher
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rock — music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. press — to push
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fall — the season
  18. mate — a partner
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fall — to drop
  24. plane — a tool

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