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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. spring — a coil
  4. file — a document
  5. court — of a king
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. court — of law
  9. spring — the season
  10. chest — a box
  11. stand — to bear
  12. press — to push
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. file — a tool
  16. court — for sport
  17. chest — of your body
  18. press — newspapers
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spring — of water

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