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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. object — to protest
  4. wake — a trail
  5. object — an aim
  6. row — a line
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pop — music
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. press — to push
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pop — soda
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. object — a thing
  22. mouse — the animal
  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