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

Word bank: rule · fall · file · dip · content · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. file — a tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — to push
  5. file — a line of people
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fall — to drop
  11. content — happy
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. file — a document
  14. press — newspapers
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rule — government
  17. fall — the season
  18. rule — a law

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