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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. track — a song
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. track — a path
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mouse — for a computer

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