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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. spring — of water
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rush — hurry
  8. file — a document
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. press — to push
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. spring — the season
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. press — newspapers
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. deal — to handle
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bark — to shout
  24. press — a publisher

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