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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. charge — a price
  3. club — for dancing
  4. file — a document
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. branch — a division
  7. present — a gift
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. present — there
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. club — for golf
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. charge — in control
  15. press — a publisher
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — the time now
  20. press — to push
  21. file — a line of people
  22. club — a group
  23. press — newspapers
  24. charge — electricity

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