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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — a publisher
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — a face
  5. file — a tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. file — a document
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wind — moving air
  15. press — to push
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. charge — in control
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mug — a cup

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