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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rock — music
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. firm — a company
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. spell — letters
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wake — a trail
  15. game — a match
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — newspapers
  19. firm — steady
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rock — a stone
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spell — magic

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