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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. last — finally
  3. spell — magic
  4. last — to go on
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. game — a match
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. last — final
  11. mug — a face
  12. game — wild animals
  13. board — a committee
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wake — a trail
  16. press — to push
  17. board — to get on
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tube — a container
  23. press — a publisher
  24. game — a kind of play

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