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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. land — a country
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. firm — steady
  7. sharp — clever
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. press — to push
  11. firm — decided
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. tube — a container
  14. snap — to click
  15. land — to come down
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. press — newspapers
  19. land — ground
  20. firm — a company
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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