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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spring — a coil
  7. press — newspapers
  8. club — a group
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. spring — of water
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rest — what's left
  18. press — to push
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. club — for golf
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spring — the season
  24. rest — a break

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