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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. row — to paddle
  3. press — newspapers
  4. row — a line
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. net — after costs
  12. press — to push
  13. current — electric
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. net — for catching
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — a trail
  20. current — of water
  21. net — in sport
  22. hand — help
  23. current — happening now
  24. hand — in cards

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