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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. swing — music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. swing — in golf
  13. game — a match
  14. rash — a series
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. swing — to play on
  21. press — to push
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. deal — to handle

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