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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: press · degree · charge · clip · file · cabinet · coach · ruler

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. clip — a video
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. file — a tool
  8. clip — for paper
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. charge — a price
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. degree — an amount
  16. press — to push
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. degree — from a university
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — a publisher
  23. charge — in control
  24. clip — to cut

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