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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. press — a publisher
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mate — a partner
  5. suit — in cards
  6. press — to push
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. race — humankind
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. press — newspapers
  19. kick — in football
  20. mate — a friend
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mate — to breed
  23. race — a contest
  24. bore — to drill

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