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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. squash — the sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — a coil
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. file — a line of people
  12. charge — in control
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bear — the animal
  18. press — to push
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. press — newspapers
  23. charge — a price
  24. bear — to put up with

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