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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. track — to keep track
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bark — to shout
  8. band — a ring
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a music group
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mate — a partner
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. track — a path
  17. charge — in control
  18. track — a song
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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