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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. present — there
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stock — shares
  8. press — to push
  9. present — the time now
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wind — moving air
  13. present — a gift
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wind — moving air
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stock — goods
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stock — a soup base

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