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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: cap · rash · leaves · lie · track · roll · field · press

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. field — a subject
  4. roll — a list
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — to push
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cap — a lid
  10. press — a publisher
  11. roll — a cake
  12. field — for sport
  13. cap — a hat
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. track — a path
  18. rash — a series
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. track — a song
  21. cap — of ice
  22. track — to keep track
  23. field — farmland
  24. lie — an untruth

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