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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.

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: squash · press · spring · track · sharp · object · mine · row

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. row — a line
  5. spring — a coil
  6. object — a thing
  7. mine — for digging
  8. track — a song
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. press — newspapers
  11. object — to protest
  12. row — to paddle
  13. spring — the season
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. sharp — clever
  17. squash — the sport
  18. spring — of water
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. track — to keep track
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. press — to push
  24. track — a path

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