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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. capital — money
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. row — a line
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. press — newspapers
  22. capital — a city
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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