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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. track — to keep track
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lie — to recline
  9. press — a publisher
  10. track — a song
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. season — of the year
  13. press — to push
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. press — newspapers
  21. track — a path
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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