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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 120 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. face — to point toward
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. file — a tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. file — a line of people
  9. press — newspapers
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mark — a trace
  12. press — to push
  13. face — to confront
  14. mark — a grade
  15. board — to get on
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chip — for betting
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. board — a committee
  24. face — part of the head

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