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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fall — to drop
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fall — the season
  5. bass — low music
  6. track — a path
  7. last — finally
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mate — a partner
  12. press — to push
  13. last — to go on
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fall — to drop
  16. track — to keep track
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — to breed
  19. row — to paddle
  20. track — a song
  21. last — final
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. row — a line

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