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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bear — the animal
  4. press — newspapers
  5. chest — of your body
  6. root — of a word
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bore — to drill
  10. press — to push
  11. can — to be able to
  12. root — the cause
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chest — a box
  15. track — a path
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. can — a tin
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. track — a song

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