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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. can — to be able to
  4. file — a document
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. file — a line of people
  7. can — a tin
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. press — a publisher
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — a city
  15. tear — to rip
  16. capital — money
  17. band — a music group
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. band — a ring
  22. file — a tool
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ruler — a monarch

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