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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bark — to shout
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cell — in biology
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. track — a song

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