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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. land — to come down
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. present — a gift
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. land — ground
  17. wind — moving air
  18. present — there
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. land — a country
  22. root — of a plant
  23. present — the time now
  24. rush — hurry

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