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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. present — a gift
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. craft — boats
  8. stand — to bear
  9. track — a song
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. press — newspapers
  14. snap — to click
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. track — a path
  18. craft — a skill
  19. present — the time now
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. present — there
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wake — a trail

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