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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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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: fan · charge · spring · season · wake · track · snap · press

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. charge — a price
  3. spring — of water
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. track — a path
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wake — a trail
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. charge — electricity
  17. press — to push
  18. spring — the season
  19. charge — in control
  20. season — in sport
  21. spring — a coil
  22. snap — to click
  23. track — a song
  24. fan — to cool the air

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