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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. roll — a list
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. land — to come down
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. club — for golf
  8. lean — thin
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. land — a country
  12. roll — a cake
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. club — a group
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. press — to push
  24. land — ground

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