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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mug — a cup
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mug — a face
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rock — music
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fall — the season
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rock — a stone
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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