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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: chest · file · fall · press · bowl · row

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. row — to paddle
  3. file — a document
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. chest — of your body
  10. row — a line
  11. fall — the season
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chest — a box
  15. press — to push
  16. file — a tool
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fall — to drop

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