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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.

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: clip · present · calf · press · track · wake · mark · mouse

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. track — a song
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. present — there
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. clip — a video
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wake — a trail
  11. clip — for paper
  12. track — a path
  13. mark — a grade
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. present — the time now
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. press — newspapers
  21. present — a gift
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mouse — the animal

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