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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · press · dip · stand · cell · mate

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mate — a partner
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. press — to push
  14. stand — to bear
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mate — a friend
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mate — to breed

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