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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ball — a dance
  6. press — to push
  7. rash — hasty
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. press — newspapers
  11. spring — a coil
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rash — a series
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — the season
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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