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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: rest · present · wake · press · lie · ball · bass · can

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — a gift
  5. press — newspapers
  6. present — there
  7. rest — what's left
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — a break
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bass — low music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bass — the fish
  21. present — the time now
  22. press — to push
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lie — an untruth

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