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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: pop · board · deal · row · leaves · press · track · lash

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. press — to push
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. press — a publisher
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pop — music
  13. board — to get on
  14. pop — soda
  15. track — a song
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. deal — to handle
  18. row — to paddle
  19. board — a committee
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pop — to visit
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. board — a flat piece

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