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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 124 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. press — to push
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bear — the animal
  8. club — for golf
  9. press — a publisher
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. last — to go on
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. last — finally
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wake — a trail
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. last — final

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