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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 · last · press · sharp · suit · swing · wind · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. file — a tool
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. press — to push
  9. last — to go on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bat — the animal
  12. last — final
  13. swing — to play on
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. swing — music
  16. suit — in cards
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. file — a document
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. last — finally
  23. wind — moving air
  24. sharp — clever

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