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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. capital — money
  8. press — to push
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. track — a path
  15. press — newspapers
  16. capital — a city
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hand — in cards
  19. track — a song
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. press — a publisher
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fan — to cool the air

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