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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. march — the month
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wound — an injury
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. track — a song
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wound — an injury
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. march — the month
  14. press — a publisher
  15. firm — decided
  16. bound — certain
  17. track — to keep track
  18. firm — a company
  19. bound — obliged
  20. track — a path
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. press — newspapers
  23. march — music
  24. firm — steady

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