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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 124 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. sharp — clever
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. track — a song
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. track — a path
  13. lie — to recline
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kid — child
  17. press — a publisher
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. date — the fruit

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