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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. press — to push
  3. can — a tin
  4. tear — from crying
  5. club — a group
  6. press — newspapers
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. can — to be able to
  10. club — for golf
  11. file — a line of people
  12. tear — from crying
  13. press — a publisher
  14. row — a line
  15. file — a document
  16. can — a tin
  17. tear — to rip
  18. club — for dancing

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