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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a document
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bat — the animal
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rest — a break
  17. wax — to grow
  18. snap — to click
  19. fork — in a road
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rest — what's left

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