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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 116 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: spring · bowl · lie · press · pound · safe · track · saw

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. track — a song
  8. press — a publisher
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. saw — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pound — a weight
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spring — of water
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lie — to recline
  22. track — a path
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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