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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — electric
  3. fine — high quality
  4. spell — letters
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fine — all right
  8. current — of water
  9. suit — to fit
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. press — to push
  13. spell — magic
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. current — happening now
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. season — of the year
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bat — the animal
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bat — for baseball

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