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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. press — newspapers
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — to push
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — clever
  13. track — to keep track
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bat — the animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — magic
  19. track — a song
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. can — to be able to
  24. track — a path

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