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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. charge — a price
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. press — a publisher
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. press — to push
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cold — an illness
  13. fall — to drop
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. press — newspapers
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. charge — in control
  20. cold — not warm
  21. suit — to fit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — clothes

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