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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. toast — bread
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. file — a line of people
  5. track — a path
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. press — to push
  9. file — a tool
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cold — not warm
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cue — for pool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. track — a song
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cold — an illness
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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