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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. present — the time now
  3. bank — for money
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. mark — a trace
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bank — for money
  22. season — of the year
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cell — in biology

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