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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. object — a thing
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cell — in biology
  9. saw — the tool
  10. press — a publisher
  11. land — a country
  12. saw — the tool
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fork — in a road
  15. press — to push
  16. fall — to drop
  17. land — ground
  18. can — a tin
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. land — to come down
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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