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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. press — a publisher
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. drill — the tool
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ball — a great time
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. ball — a dance
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mate — a partner
  19. drill — army training
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. press — to push
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mate — a friend

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