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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. suit — clothes
  3. press — to push
  4. file — a document
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. file — a tool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. last — to go on
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wake — before a funeral

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