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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. net — for catching
  3. pop — to visit
  4. staff — a stick
  5. press — to push
  6. staff — employees
  7. net — in sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pop — soda
  10. staff — employees
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pop — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. net — after costs
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wax — for sculpting

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