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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ground — the earth
  6. press — to push
  7. bass — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. press — a publisher
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. present — there
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. present — a gift
  20. wound — an injury
  21. press — newspapers
  22. present — the time now
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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