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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 120 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: file · bound · press · mate · capital · firm · rest · board

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bound — certain
  3. rest — what's left
  4. press — to push
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rest — a break
  8. file — a document
  9. capital — money
  10. mate — to breed
  11. firm — a company
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bound — tied together
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bound — obliged
  22. capital — a city
  23. mate — a friend
  24. board — a committee

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