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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. file — a tool
  3. sharp — clever
  4. prune — to trim
  5. scale — in music
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. press — to push
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. key — in music
  10. file — a document
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. file — a line of people
  13. press — a publisher
  14. key — for a lock
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. key — the most important part
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. scale — size or range

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