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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. press — newspapers
  3. season — in sport
  4. wake — a trail
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. season — of the year
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cold — an illness
  13. board — a committee
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. press — to push
  16. track — to keep track
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. tube — a container
  21. press — a publisher
  22. board — to get on
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. tube — the underground

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