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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. press — to push
  3. bank — for money
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. can — a tin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — for money
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. scale — size or range
  16. press — newspapers
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wound — an injury
  19. scale — in music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kick — in football
  22. bank — of a river
  23. press — a publisher
  24. can — a tin

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