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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 · chair · press · rash · ball · current · wind · mark

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. press — newspapers
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chair — a leader
  11. press — a publisher
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rash — hasty
  17. press — to push
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ball — a great time
  21. current — electric
  22. mark — a trace
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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