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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. press — to push
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — a song
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — newspapers
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — a path

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