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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. perch — the fish
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. track — a path
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tube — a container
  16. press — a publisher
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. dip — to sink
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tube — the underground
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. track — to keep track

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