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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: press · ground · ball · wake · file · dip · toast · mouse

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ground — the earth
  4. file — a tool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — to push
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ground — a position
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. file — a document
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. press — newspapers
  19. toast — bread
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. file — a line of people
  22. dip — to sink
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. press — a publisher

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