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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. press — a publisher
  5. track — a song
  6. press — to push
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. capital — money
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. suit — in cards
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wake — a trail
  19. suit — to fit
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. track — a path
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. capital — a city
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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