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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.

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: fan · press · mine · rest · mug · spring · stock · lie

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. press — to push
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mug — a face
  5. rest — a break
  6. spring — the season
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stock — goods
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rest — what's left

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