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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 120 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: lie · press · can · track · mouse · wake · stand · wave

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. press — to push
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. track — a path
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. track — to keep track
  13. can — a tin
  14. press — a publisher
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. track — a song
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — newspapers
  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