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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. track — a song
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. ball — a great time
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. press — to push
  18. bat — the animal
  19. track — a path
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. press — a publisher
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ball — a round shape

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