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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · press · fan · bowl · spell · ruler

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. 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. spell — letters
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. spell — magic
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. race — a contest
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. press — to push
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. spell — a short time
  17. race — humankind
  18. 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