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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · ball · track · spring · press · file · mug · bay

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. file — a tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. mug — a face
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mug — a cup
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. spring — of water
  24. wind — moving air

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