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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. file — a tool
  8. press — to push
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. press — a publisher
  12. content — happy
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stand — to bear
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wake — a trail
  18. content — the amount
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. swing — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. squash — the sport

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