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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 120 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: net · cue · file · charge · hide · mark · staff · press

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. press — a publisher
  3. staff — employees
  4. cue — a hint
  5. file — a line of people
  6. net — in sport
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cue — a signal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — for pool
  12. charge — a price
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. staff — a stick
  15. press — to push
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. file — a document
  18. charge — in control
  19. file — a tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. net — after costs
  22. mark — a trace
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mark — a grade

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