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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. hand — in cards
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — the cause
  6. hand — help
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wind — moving air
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. root — of a word
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. root — of a plant
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. hand — part of the body

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