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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. file — a document
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rest — a break
  9. file — a tool
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. press — to push
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bat — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. toast — bread
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bear — the animal

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