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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. craft — boats
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rest — a break
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — a skill
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wake — before a funeral

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