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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. track — a path
  3. fall — the season
  4. press — to push
  5. fall — to drop
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. current — happening now
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. tube — a container
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. current — of water
  18. track — a song
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pass — a permit
  23. current — electric
  24. press — newspapers

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