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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · pass · file · ruler · firm · mine

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. 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 tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. press — to push
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. firm — a company
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. firm — decided
  11. pass — a permit
  12. firm — steady
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. file — a document
  17. press — newspapers
  18. 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