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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fall — the season
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rest — a break
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. file — a document
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rest — what's left
  16. file — a line of people
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. file — a tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fall — to drop
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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