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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pop — soda
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wake — a trail
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pop — to visit
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. suit — clothes
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. branch — a division
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. press — newspapers
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mark — a grade
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pop — music
  21. press — to push
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mark — a trace
  24. press — a publisher

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