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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: fall · row · track · foot · file · stick · press · lash

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. file — a document
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fall — the season
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. track — a song
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. track — a path
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. foot — a measure
  13. press — a publisher
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. press — to push
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. row — a line
  24. file — a tool

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