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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mark — a trace
  3. file — a tool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cue — for pool
  8. file — a document
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. press — a publisher
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. press — to push
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mark — a grade
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. press — newspapers
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. branch — a division
  24. pound — a weight

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