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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.

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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. file — a document
  6. chip — to eat
  7. press — to push
  8. mate — to breed
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. press — newspapers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. track — a song
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — a path

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