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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. file — a line of people
  3. press — to push
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mate — a friend
  7. file — a document
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rock — music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mate — a partner
  12. file — a tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mate — to breed

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