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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
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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: race · track · wound · press · foot · dip · wave · spring

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. press — a publisher
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. foot — a measure
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. race — humankind
  23. spring — the season
  24. press — to push

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