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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. file — a tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. file — a line of people
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ball — a dance
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. file — a document
  14. bound — certain
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bound — tied together
  17. press — to push
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. press — newspapers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bound — obliged

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