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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fall — the season
  3. press — to push
  4. snap — to click
  5. mate — a partner
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — to be able to
  21. key — in music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — for a lock
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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