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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. spring — of water
  3. hand — in cards
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. hand — help
  10. mark — a trace
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mark — a grade
  14. deal — to handle
  15. spring — the season
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. press — a publisher
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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