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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. track — a path
  3. key — for a lock
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mate — to breed
  6. press — a publisher
  7. shower — rain
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mate — a friend
  12. track — a song
  13. key — the most important part
  14. shower — to wash
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. board — to get on
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. board — a committee
  20. press — to push
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — in music

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