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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · track · rule · press · lie · kick

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. press — newspapers
  7. track — a path
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kick — in football
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rule — a law
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rule — government
  18. track — a song

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