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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. stand — to bear
  5. kid — child
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — to cool the air

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