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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. squash — to crush
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. capital — money
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. capital — a city
  20. rest — a break
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — a trail

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