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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: dip · can · press · chest · lie · clip · fork · track

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. chest — a box
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. can — to be able to
  9. press — a publisher
  10. track — a path
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. clip — for paper
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chest — of your body
  16. press — newspapers
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. chest — of your body
  19. press — to push
  20. clip — a video
  21. track — a song
  22. clip — to cut
  23. track — to keep track
  24. dip — to dunk

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