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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cap — a lid
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fall — to drop
  16. drill — army training
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. press — newspapers
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. drill — the tool
  24. press — to push

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