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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 124 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ball — a great time
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bark — to shout
  24. press — newspapers

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