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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — a break
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lean — to bend
  12. press — to push
  13. lean — thin
  14. track — to keep track
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. track — a path
  24. safe — out of danger

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