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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 120 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: track · foot · stick · press · rest · row · cabinet · bat

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. track — a path
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rest — a break
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. press — a publisher
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rest — what's left
  19. track — a song
  20. rest — what's left
  21. foot — a measure
  22. press — to push
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bat — 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