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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. can — a tin
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. can — to be able to
  5. press — to push
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. press — newspapers
  11. capital — money
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bear — the animal
  15. capital — a city
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. can — a tin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wound — an injury

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