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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — a permit
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. file — a document
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. present — a gift
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mug — a cup
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. present — there
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rest — what's left
  16. present — the time now
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mug — a face
  19. press — to push
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. wind — moving air
  23. file — a tool
  24. pass — to succeed

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