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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. press — newspapers
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lean — to bend
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. press — to push
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lean — thin
  20. press — a publisher
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. can — to be able to
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — a supporter

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