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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 · cabinet · rock · wind · mark · squash · pop · press

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. file — a document
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. file — a tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. press — a publisher
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pop — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — a stone
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. press — to push
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rock — music

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