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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. scale — size or range
  4. press — newspapers
  5. last — to go on
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cell — in biology
  9. track — a song
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — a publisher
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. last — final
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — a phone
  19. scale — in music
  20. press — to push
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bear — to put up with

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