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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fall — the season
  6. track — a path
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rash — a series
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bass — low music
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bass — the fish

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