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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mark — a trace
  5. net — after costs
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. press — newspapers
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. net — for catching
  13. fall — to drop
  14. season — of the year
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. suit — clothes
  21. press — to push
  22. season — in sport
  23. net — in sport
  24. mark — a grade

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