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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a great time
  3. deal — to handle
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. press — a publisher
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. march — the month
  13. bat — the animal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. press — to push
  16. march — the month
  17. ball — a dance
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. press — newspapers
  22. march — music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. deal — a big deal

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