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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. kick — in football
  4. press — to push
  5. scale — size or range
  6. can — to be able to
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wound — an injury
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bat — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. can — a tin
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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