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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fall — to drop
  3. net — in sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. shower — rain
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fall — the season
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. net — for catching
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — the animal

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