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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. rash — a series
  11. press — newspapers
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hand — help
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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