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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. press — to push
  5. file — a tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. press — a publisher
  8. root — of a word
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kick — in football
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. file — a line of people

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