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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. object — a thing
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wake — a trail
  6. spring — the season
  7. craft — boats
  8. object — to protest
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pop — soda
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. craft — a skill
  15. shower — rain
  16. spell — letters
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. spring — of water
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pop — music
  23. spell — magic
  24. object — an aim

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