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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: cabinet · rash · last · press · perch · net · rock · file

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. file — a line of people
  3. press — newspapers
  4. last — to go on
  5. rash — hasty
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rock — music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. net — after costs
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. net — in sport
  12. last — final
  13. net — for catching
  14. rock — a stone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rash — a series
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — to push
  19. file — a tool
  20. last — finally
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. file — a document
  24. cabinet — ministers

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