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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mate — a partner
  4. row — to paddle
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — to push
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mate — a friend
  21. row — a line
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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