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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. press — to push
  9. track — a song
  10. chip — to eat
  11. kid — to tease
  12. file — a line of people
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a tool
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. kid — child
  22. file — a document
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. track — a path

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