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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pound — a weight
  3. press — a publisher
  4. chest — of your body
  5. craft — a skill
  6. file — a document
  7. craft — boats
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. present — the time now
  13. wind — moving air
  14. present — there
  15. press — to push
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. present — a gift
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wind — moving air
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fan — a supporter

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