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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. perch — the fish
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. press — a publisher
  15. kick — in football
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. date — the fruit
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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