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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. firm — steady
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — to go on
  12. firm — a company
  13. mark — a grade
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. press — to push
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. press — a publisher
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wake — a trail
  20. press — newspapers
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — decided

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