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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mine — for digging
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pop — soda
  10. rush — hurry
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. press — to push
  16. charge — in control
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. season — in sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. press — a publisher
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pop — music

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