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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. press — to push
  3. wake — a trail
  4. dip — to sink
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. band — a music group
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. root — the cause
  10. track — to keep track
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. press — newspapers
  13. root — of a plant
  14. face — to point toward
  15. track — a song
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. press — a publisher
  18. face — to confront
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. root — of a word
  21. wax — to grow
  22. band — a ring
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wax — in the ear

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