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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rash — a series
  5. press — to push
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pop — soda
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. press — a publisher
  14. snap — to click
  15. stand — to bear
  16. saw — the tool
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pop — music
  24. rash — hasty

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