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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. press — to push
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. press — a publisher
  16. swing — music
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. prune — to trim
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rest — what's left

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