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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — money
  5. content — the amount
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. press — newspapers
  8. snap — to click
  9. key — in music
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mug — a face
  12. press — to push
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mug — to rob
  15. content — happy
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mug — a cup
  19. key — for a lock
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wake — a trail
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. press — a publisher

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