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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: cue · season · fan · press · file · craft · fork · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. press — a publisher
  4. season — in sport
  5. press — to push
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cell — in biology
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. season — of the year
  13. craft — boats
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — a hint
  17. craft — a skill
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. file — a document
  24. cue — for pool

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