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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. swing — in golf
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. swing — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. press — to push
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. shower — rain
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. press — newspapers
  20. swing — to play on
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. press — a publisher

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