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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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Word bank
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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: tear · pop · track · wake · face · cue · press · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. press — newspapers
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pop — soda
  8. row — to paddle
  9. track — to keep track
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tear — to rip
  12. press — a publisher
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pop — music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. row — a line
  18. cue — a hint
  19. face — to confront
  20. track — a song
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pop — to visit
  23. press — to push
  24. track — a path

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