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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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 — a trail
  2. mark — a grade
  3. press — newspapers
  4. object — a thing
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. spring — a coil
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. face — to confront
  12. spring — of water
  13. object — to protest
  14. mark — a trace
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. press — to push
  18. spring — the season
  19. face — to point toward
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. face — part of the head
  23. press — a publisher
  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