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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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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: dip · tear · file · firm · press · charge

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. tear — from crying
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. tear — to rip
  7. file — a tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. firm — a company
  10. press — newspapers
  11. tear — from crying
  12. charge — a price
  13. file — a document
  14. press — a publisher
  15. file — a line of people
  16. charge — electricity
  17. dip — to sink
  18. press — to push

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