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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 120 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. capital — a city
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. press — a publisher
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. bass — low music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. press — to push
  24. fall — the season

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