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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lean — thin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a song
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a path
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — to push
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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