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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. press — newspapers
  7. track — a path
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. tube — a container
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. last — to go on
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pass — a permit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. track — a song

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