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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. track — a path
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. track — to keep track
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pound — a weight
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. press — to push
  17. face — part of the head
  18. tube — the underground
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. tube — a container
  24. deal — to handle

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