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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 116 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bass — the fish
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bass — low music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mug — to rob
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. bore — to drill
  15. press — to push
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mug — a cup
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mug — a face
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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