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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — the fish
  3. object — an aim
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. press — newspapers
  6. face — to point toward
  7. season — in sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. season — of the year
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. face — to confront
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. press — a publisher
  17. object — a thing
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. press — to push
  22. bass — low music
  23. object — to protest
  24. saw — the tool

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