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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: file · scale · roll · cold · safe · bat · press · bark

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. press — newspapers
  3. scale — size or range
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. press — a publisher
  11. roll — a cake
  12. file — a document
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. press — to push
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. file — a line of people
  22. scale — in music
  23. file — a tool
  24. bat — for baseball

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