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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cold — an illness
  6. can — a tin
  7. present — the time now
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cold — not warm
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. present — there
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wax — to grow
  23. press — to push
  24. wax — in the ear

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