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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rest — a break
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rest — what's left
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bear — the animal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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