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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. field — for sport
  3. press — to push
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. charge — electricity
  9. press — newspapers
  10. deal — to handle
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. field — a subject
  14. charge — a price
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. net — after costs
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — in sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. charge — in control
  22. net — for catching
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. lie — an untruth

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