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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fall — the season
  3. press — to push
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cue — for pool
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — high quality
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cue — a hint
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rock — music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wake — before a funeral

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