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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mug — a face
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cold — not warm
  8. press — to push
  9. tube — a container
  10. press — a publisher
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pit — a hole
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wake — a trail
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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