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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mug — a face
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bore — to tire
  6. season — of the year
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. press — to push
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bass — low music
  14. season — in sport
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mug — a cup
  18. press — newspapers

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