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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. press — to push
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ground — a position
  7. land — a country
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. land — ground
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. land — to come down
  21. bear — the animal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ground — crushed
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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