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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cold — an illness
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. net — in sport
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. press — to push
  17. sharp — clever
  18. net — for catching
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. snap — to click
  24. net — after costs

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