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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 · bay · swing · mate · temple · pit · press · saw

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. press — newspapers
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pit — in a race
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. swing — to play on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. press — to push
  18. swing — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mate — a friend
  22. file — a document
  23. mate — a partner
  24. swing — in golf

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