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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. hand — help
  3. present — the time now
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. file — a tool
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. present — there
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. press — newspapers
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a document
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. key — in music
  16. present — a gift
  17. lean — thin
  18. key — the most important part
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. press — to push
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. file — a line of people
  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