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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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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. press — to push
  3. land — to come down
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. land — ground
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. object — to protest
  10. row — a line
  11. bat — the animal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. object — an aim
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. object — a thing
  21. land — a country
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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