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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. present — a gift
  5. key — in music
  6. press — a publisher
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — the time now
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — there
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. key — the most important part
  17. field — for sport
  18. press — to push
  19. field — a subject
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. field — farmland
  22. wound — an injury
  23. kick — in football
  24. press — newspapers

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