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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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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: rash · track · ground · press · hide · current · calf · can

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. 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 — a publisher
  2. ground — a position
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ground — crushed
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. track — to keep track
  14. press — newspapers
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rash — hasty
  18. current — electric
  19. track — a path
  20. rash — a series
  21. press — to push
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. 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