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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. row — a line
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fine — high quality
  9. press — to push
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. snap — to click
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fine — all right
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. row — to paddle
  24. press — a publisher

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