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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 124 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. press — to push
  3. track — a song
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cold — an illness
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. land — a country
  11. mark — a grade
  12. land — to come down
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mark — a trace
  20. track — a path
  21. land — ground
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cold — not warm
  24. press — a publisher

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