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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — to push
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rest — what's left
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chip — for betting
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bank — for money
  22. rest — a break
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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