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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — a path
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pop — soda
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bear — the animal
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. track — a song
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pop — music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bear — the animal
  23. press — to push
  24. patient — a sick person

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