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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — to get on
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. date — the fruit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. press — to push
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. board — a committee
  12. press — a publisher
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mug — to rob
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mug — a face
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. suit — clothes
  24. press — newspapers

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