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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
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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: degree · fall · spell · fan · press · cue · can · bear

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. press — a publisher
  3. spell — letters
  4. fall — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. press — to push
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cue — for pool
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spell — magic

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