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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. file — a document
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rest — what's left
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rest — what's left
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cap — a lid
  10. key — for a lock
  11. file — a tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rest — a break
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. press — to push
  17. key — in music
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. craft — boats
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cap — a hat

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