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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. press — to push
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — newspapers
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cue — a hint
  8. spring — the season
  9. file — a tool
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spring — a coil
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cue — a signal
  17. track — a path
  18. spring — of water
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. file — a document
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. press — a publisher
  23. track — a song
  24. mine — belonging to me

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