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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. 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. file — a tool
  2. track — to keep track
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. spell — magic
  9. track — a path
  10. press — newspapers
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. file — a document
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chest — a box
  19. track — a song
  20. spell — a short time
  21. press — to push
  22. spell — letters
  23. chest — of your body
  24. 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