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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. file — a document
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rest — a break
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. press — to push
  10. rule — government
  11. present — the time now
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rule — a law
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. file — a line of people

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