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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: file · rock · race · cabinet · press · straw

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. press — to push
  4. race — a contest
  5. file — a document
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. file — a tool
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — music
  12. race — humankind
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. race — the arms race
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. press — newspapers

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