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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: track · fall · press · lie · mark · roll · tear · ball

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ball — a dance
  4. track — a path
  5. ball — a great time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. press — to push
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lie — to recline
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. roll — a list
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fall — the season
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. roll — a cake

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