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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. press — newspapers
  5. track — a path
  6. wound — an injury
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — thin
  17. track — a song
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. track — to keep track

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