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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. face — part of the head
  4. object — an aim
  5. mine — for digging
  6. face — to confront
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. object — to protest
  13. suit — to fit
  14. face — to point toward
  15. suit — clothes
  16. object — a thing
  17. suit — in cards
  18. press — a publisher

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