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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. press — to push
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. board — to get on
  11. press — a publisher
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. press — newspapers
  16. board — a committee
  17. cue — a signal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. board — a flat piece

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