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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wound — an injury
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fall — the season
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bank — for money
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a song
  19. bank — of a river
  20. field — a subject
  21. track — a path
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fall — to drop
  24. press — newspapers

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