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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rush — hurry
  5. field — for sport
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. file — a document
  8. face — to confront
  9. file — a line of people
  10. plane — a tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mug — to rob
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. press — to push
  16. mug — a face
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. field — a subject
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. field — farmland
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rush — a thrill

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