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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bulb — for light
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — happening now
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tear — to rip
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tear — from crying
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. press — to push
  22. fall — the season
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bulb — for light

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