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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. degree — from a university
  5. press — a publisher
  6. degree — temperature
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. press — to push
  12. rash — hasty
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rash — a series
  17. press — newspapers
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. degree — an amount
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bulb — of a plant

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