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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. file — a tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. drill — the tool
  5. file — a document
  6. press — to push
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pop — soda
  12. board — a committee
  13. mate — a friend
  14. board — to get on
  15. mate — to breed
  16. lean — to bend
  17. drill — army training
  18. pop — to visit
  19. file — a line of people
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pop — music
  23. drill — a practice
  24. lean — thin

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