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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 · staff · press · mug · bear · date · firm · prune

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — to rob
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. firm — decided
  12. mug — a cup
  13. firm — steady
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. staff — a stick
  16. prune — to trim
  17. press — to push
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mug — a face
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. firm — a company
  24. prune — to trim

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