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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 116 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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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: fall · press · clip · rush · file · bowl · deal · pass

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. file — a document
  4. clip — to cut
  5. press — to push
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. file — a line of people
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. file — a tool
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. clip — a video
  15. rush — hurry
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. clip — for paper
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rush — to hurry

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