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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. land — ground
  5. file — a document
  6. pitch — completely
  7. land — to come down
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. track — to keep track
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. land — a country
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. press — newspapers
  22. file — a tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wax — to grow

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