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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. chest — of your body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a song
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wake — a trail
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ball — a great time
  14. track — a path
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chest — a box
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. press — to push
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. press — a publisher

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