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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. press — a publisher
  7. shower — to wash
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. clip — for paper
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. clip — a video
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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