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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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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: racket · rock · dip · fall · face · stand · press · file

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. file — a document
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. press — newspapers
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rock — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. face — part of the head
  10. press — to push
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stand — to bear
  14. face — to confront
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fall — the season
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. press — a publisher
  23. face — to point toward
  24. racket — a loud noise

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