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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. craft — a skill
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. craft — boats
  12. press — newspapers
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rush — hurry
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fine — all right
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. press — to push
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fine — high quality
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rush — a thrill

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