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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. march — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — a song
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — to keep track
  11. press — a publisher
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. march — the month
  14. wound — an injury
  15. press — to push
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. drill — army training
  20. wound — an injury
  21. drill — a practice
  22. march — the month
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lash — to lash out

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