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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. press — newspapers
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. can — to be able to
  10. press — a publisher
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. tube — a container
  16. cue — for pool
  17. dip — to sink
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a path
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tube — the underground
  22. press — to push
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — a sauce

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