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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. roll — a list
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lean — thin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — to handle
  19. press — to push
  20. snap — to click
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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