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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.

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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: roll · pass · press · stem · file · date · mine · sharp

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. file — a document
  4. stem — to come from
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. press — a publisher
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. file — a line of people
  13. date — the fruit
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pass — a permit
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. file — a tool
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. sharp — clever
  22. roll — a list
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stem — of a plant

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