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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. press — to push
  6. present — a gift
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. present — the time now
  10. rest — what's left
  11. degree — an amount
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fine — high quality
  14. present — there
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rest — what's left
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rest — a break
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. wake — a trail
  22. face — to point toward
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pitcher — a jug

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