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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. land — to come down
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rest — a break
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a great time
  14. press — newspapers
  15. ball — a dance
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. saw — the tool
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. suit — clothes
  22. track — a song
  23. saw — the tool
  24. press — a publisher

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