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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wake — a trail
  6. roll — a cake
  7. scale — in music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. object — a thing
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. roll — a list
  13. file — a tool
  14. suit — clothes
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. object — to protest
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. object — an aim
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. scale — size or range
  24. roll — on a roll

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