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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. rush — hurry
  5. press — to push
  6. spell — magic
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. file — a document
  9. spell — letters
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rock — music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ground — the earth
  20. drill — the tool
  21. press — a publisher
  22. spell — a short time
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rock — to move gently

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