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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.

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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. file — a document
  4. cap — a hat
  5. press — to push
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. present — the time now
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cap — of ice
  11. file — a tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fine — all right
  14. present — a gift
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wax — to grow
  20. press — newspapers
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pass — a permit
  23. present — there
  24. press — a publisher

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