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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. spring — a coil
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fine — high quality
  8. press — to push
  9. present — the time now
  10. file — a tool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. game — a match
  13. board — to get on
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. present — a gift
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. board — a committee
  21. press — a publisher
  22. present — there
  23. fine — all right
  24. game — a kind of play

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