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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. file — a tool
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. press — a publisher
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wake — a trail
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. net — in sport
  14. pitch — completely
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — all right
  18. file — a document
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fine — high quality
  22. file — a line of people
  23. press — to push
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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