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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 124 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. object — an aim
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. object — to protest
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chip — to eat
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. object — a thing
  24. wound — an injury

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