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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. press — newspapers
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. object — a thing
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — of the year
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. object — to protest
  14. press — to push
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. object — an aim
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — in sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wind — to turn a key

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