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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — of ice
  4. press — newspapers
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. scale — in music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. press — to push
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fine — all right
  18. press — a publisher
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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