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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pound — a weight
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. degree — from a university
  9. press — newspapers
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. degree — temperature
  12. press — to push
  13. file — a line of people
  14. degree — an amount
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. file — a document
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. craft — boats
  24. safe — out of danger

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