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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. season — of the year
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. row — a line
  14. season — in sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wake — a trail

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