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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 124 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. file — a tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. key — in music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kick — in football
  9. plane — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. press — to push
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. key — the most important part
  21. file — a line of people
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mate — a friend

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