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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 120 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rule — government
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rule — a law
  14. press — to push
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pop — soda

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