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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. season — of the year
  3. mate — a partner
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mate — a friend
  7. season — in sport
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mate — to breed
  11. track — a song
  12. press — to push
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. track — to keep track
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — a path
  18. press — a publisher
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. dip — to sink

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