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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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fine — all right
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. tear — from crying
  14. press — to push
  15. craft — boats
  16. mate — a partner
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wake — a trail
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — to breed

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