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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. press — newspapers
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bat — the animal
  5. file — a document
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. press — a publisher
  8. last — final
  9. track — to keep track
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. press — to push
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — a path
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. track — a song
  23. toast — bread
  24. file — a tool

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