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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. net — for catching
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. club — for golf
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rock — music
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. press — to push
  20. cold — an illness
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. club — a group

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