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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. clip — for paper
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. track — to keep track
  7. press — to push
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wake — a trail
  10. track — a song
  11. pass — a permit
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stand — to bear
  16. spell — magic
  17. clip — a video
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. press — a publisher
  21. track — a path
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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