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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ball — a dance
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ball — a great time
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. track — a song
  8. saw — the tool
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. firm — decided
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. track — a path
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. track — to keep track
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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