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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. press — a publisher
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. chest — a box
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. press — to push
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wake — a trail
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chest — of your body
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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