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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mug — a cup
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. press — newspapers
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mug — a face
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. snap — to click
  18. wake — a trail
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. press — to push
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ball — a round shape

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