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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stock — shares
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bank — for money
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mate — to breed
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. can — a tin
  20. press — to push
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stock — goods

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