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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bank — for money
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — to point toward
  7. press — to push
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. chip — for betting
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chip — to eat
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. kid — child
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. press — a publisher
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bank — of a river
  22. kid — to tease
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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