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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bank — for money
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bank — for money
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. staff — employees
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. swing — to play on
  12. press — to push
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. press — a publisher
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bank — of a river
  18. swing — music
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cold — not warm
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cold — an illness
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — in golf

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