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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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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: snap · kick · patient · press · track · chip · fall · safe

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fall — to drop
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. press — to push
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. track — a song
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fall — the season
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. press — a publisher
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chip — for betting
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. chip — to eat
  24. patient — a sick person

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