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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. press — to push
  10. land — ground
  11. roll — a cake
  12. land — a country
  13. drill — a practice
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. land — to come down
  17. bank — for money
  18. drill — army training
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — in music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. roll — a list
  24. bank — for money

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