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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. press — to push
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to click
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. kick — in football
  19. land — a country
  20. press — newspapers
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ruler — a monarch

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