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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. present — a gift
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. present — there
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. press — newspapers
  8. present — the time now
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. bark — to shout
  21. press — to push
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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