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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. rock — a stone
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. press — a publisher
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rock — music
  19. press — to push
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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