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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. clip — a video
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stock — shares
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stock — goods
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fork — in a road
  12. clip — to cut
  13. file — a tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. press — to push
  24. file — a line of people

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