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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · press · cabinet · cell · pound · roll · file · leaves

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. file — a document
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. roll — a cake
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. press — a publisher
  19. file — a line of people
  20. press — to push
  21. roll — a list
  22. pound — a weight
  23. file — a tool
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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