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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. march — the month
  3. press — newspapers
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. file — a line of people
  10. snap — to click
  11. row — a line
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ground — the earth
  14. row — to paddle
  15. tube — a container
  16. press — to push
  17. file — a document
  18. ground — a position
  19. march — music
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. file — a tool
  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