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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rash — hasty
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mate — a friend
  8. last — finally
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. mate — a partner
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. last — final
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rash — a series
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. date — the fruit
  24. last — to go on

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