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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. press — newspapers
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. track — a song
  9. press — to push
  10. dip — to sink
  11. squash — the sport
  12. press — a publisher
  13. squash — to crush
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bowl — a football final
  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