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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. file — a document
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. tear — to rip
  7. file — a tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fine — all right
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. file — a line of people
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. tear — from crying
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. craft — boats
  21. fine — high quality
  22. press — to push
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wave — of the sea

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