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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hand — help
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. object — an aim
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. press — to push
  11. staff — a stick
  12. press — newspapers
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. object — a thing
  18. kid — child
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. hand — in cards
  23. object — to protest
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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