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

Word bank: bear · wake · fine · row · mate · press · hand · roll

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bear — the animal
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fine — high quality
  6. press — to push
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mate — a friend
  10. row — to paddle
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. roll — a list
  14. fine — all right
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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