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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fine — all right
  8. mate — a partner
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. press — to push
  11. net — after costs
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fall — the season
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — high quality
  18. kick — in football
  19. net — for catching
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fall — to drop
  24. press — newspapers

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