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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 120 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.

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: wave · bat · file · mate · press · dip · bore · track

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mate — to breed
  3. track — to keep track
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mate — a partner
  7. press — a publisher
  8. track — a path
  9. file — a document
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bat — the animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. press — to push
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. press — newspapers
  17. track — a song
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mate — a friend
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. dip — a sauce

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