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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. press — to push
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. court — for sport
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wound — an injury
  7. press — newspapers
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. spell — letters
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spell — magic
  15. snap — to click
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spell — a short time
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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