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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fall — to drop
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. rest — a break
  13. press — a publisher
  14. squash — to crush
  15. race — a contest
  16. press — to push
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wake — a trail
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. race — humankind
  23. rest — what's left
  24. race — the arms race

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