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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mark — a trace
  10. suit — in cards
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. press — newspapers
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wake — a trail
  18. press — to push
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cell — in biology
  24. suit — clothes

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