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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. current — happening now
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. current — of water
  6. press — to push
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. squash — to crush
  11. press — newspapers
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. current — electric
  15. dip — to sink
  16. press — a publisher
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. race — a contest

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