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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. object — an aim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. press — newspapers
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. press — a publisher
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. object — to protest
  18. roll — a cake
  19. rest — a break
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. object — a thing
  23. rest — what's left
  24. press — to push

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