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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · press · wake · mark · hide · present · straw · fine

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mark — a trace
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. press — to push
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — soda
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pop — music
  15. present — the time now
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. present — there
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wake — a trail
  24. present — a gift

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