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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: bear · pop · lie · cue · press · wake · court · spell

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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. pop — soda
  4. court — of a king
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pop — music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spell — letters
  13. wake — a trail
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — to push
  18. cue — a signal
  19. spell — magic
  20. cue — a hint
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cue — for pool
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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