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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. net — for catching
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — to sink
  11. press — to push
  12. net — in sport
  13. date — the fruit
  14. charge — in control
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lean — thin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. charge — a price
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lean — to rest against

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