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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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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: tear · file · wave · ruler · mark · stand · press · wind

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. press — to push
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. tear — from crying
  7. file — a tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wind — moving air
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tear — to rip
  23. file — a document
  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