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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chair — a leader
  3. file — a document
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pop — music
  7. file — a line of people
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. press — newspapers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. file — a tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. craft — boats
  21. rest — a break
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pop — soda
  24. craft — a handicraft

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