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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. can — a tin
  5. press — a publisher
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. track — a path
  8. press — to push
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. object — a thing
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. press — newspapers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. object — an aim
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. object — to protest
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mine — for digging
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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