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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. press — to push
  3. fall — to drop
  4. season — of the year
  5. bear — the animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. scale — in music
  8. season — in sport
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fall — the season
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fall — to drop
  15. snap — to click
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. track — a song
  20. press — a publisher
  21. track — a path
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. craft — a skill

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