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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: track · leaves · press · straw · club · tube · temple · rash

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. track — a path
  3. press — newspapers
  4. tube — a container
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. press — a publisher
  10. track — to keep track
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. press — to push
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — a song
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. club — for golf

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