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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: object · coach · mug · snap · press · rush · track · wake

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mug — a face
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rush — hurry
  7. track — to keep track
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. press — to push
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. track — a path
  22. object — a thing
  23. snap — to click
  24. rush — a thrill

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