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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. march — music
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. march — the month
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wake — a trail
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. press — to push
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wind — moving air

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