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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. track — to keep track
  3. press — to push
  4. spring — the season
  5. spell — a short time
  6. track — a path
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. track — a song
  21. spring — a coil
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stand — to bear

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