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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — to push
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tube — a container
  11. stock — shares
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. file — a tool
  16. stock — goods
  17. file — a document
  18. press — a publisher
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — in a tire

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