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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. mug — a face
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. press — newspapers
  9. snap — to click
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. season — of the year
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. drill — army training
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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