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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: press · track · wound · suit · lie · foot · rock · chest

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. track — a path
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. suit — clothes
  5. press — to push
  6. track — to keep track
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wound — an injury
  15. suit — to fit
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chest — a box
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. suit — in cards
  22. track — a song
  23. wound — an injury
  24. foot — a measure

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