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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. club — a group
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wake — a trail
  12. press — newspapers
  13. club — for golf
  14. band — a ring
  15. mark — a grade
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. press — to push
  19. rock — music
  20. band — a music group
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kick — in football
  24. press — a publisher

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