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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. band — a music group
  3. track — a path
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — the cause
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cue — for pool
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. track — a song
  11. cue — a signal
  12. band — a ring
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. chest — a box
  18. root — of a word
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cue — a hint
  22. root — of a plant
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lie — an untruth

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