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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. hand — in cards
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lean — thin
  7. ground — a position
  8. file — a tool
  9. press — to push
  10. hand — help
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ground — crushed
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fork — in a road
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rush — a thrill

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