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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 124 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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. press — to push
  4. pit — in a race
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. track — a path
  8. press — newspapers
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. file — a document
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. current — of water
  13. file — a tool
  14. track — a song
  15. snap — to click
  16. current — electric
  17. pit — a hole
  18. file — a line of people
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. current — happening now
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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