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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fall — to drop
  5. branch — a division
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fine — all right
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fall — the season
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mark — a grade
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — a trace
  23. press — a publisher
  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