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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wake — a trail
  3. present — a gift
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. press — to push
  7. pop — soda
  8. cap — a lid
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pop — music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. present — the time now
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cap — of ice
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. present — there
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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