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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. tear — from crying
  3. file — a document
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bore — to tire
  6. club — a group
  7. last — finally
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. tear — to rip
  11. press — to push
  12. last — final
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. file — a tool
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. last — to go on
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bore — to drill
  21. club — for golf
  22. tear — from crying
  23. club — for dancing
  24. chair — to sit on

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