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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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468
Word bank
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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. press — newspapers
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. degree — temperature
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mark — a grade
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. press — to push
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. degree — from a university

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