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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wake — a trail
  5. press — newspapers
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. roll — a cake
  13. scale — size or range
  14. press — to push
  15. roll — a list
  16. scale — in music
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. press — a publisher

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