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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bat — the animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. file — a document
  10. ball — a great time
  11. file — a line of people
  12. board — to get on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. press — to push
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ball — a dance
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. foot — a measure

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