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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.

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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: sharp · nail · mouse · snap · press · clip · track · leaves

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. sharp — clever
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. press — to push
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. clip — a video
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. clip — to cut
  24. press — a publisher

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