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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mate — to breed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. suit — to fit
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. spell — magic
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spell — letters
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mate — a friend
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ball — a great time

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