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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. last — to go on
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. row — to paddle
  10. craft — a skill
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. row — a line
  13. last — finally
  14. bass — low music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. press — a publisher
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bass — the fish
  19. press — to push
  20. craft — boats
  21. last — final
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. row — a quarrel
  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