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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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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: mine · leaves · fan · present · firm · cell · press · spell

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. present — the time now
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spell — letters
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. press — to push
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mine — for digging
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — a gift
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. present — there
  17. firm — a company
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. spell — magic
  24. cell — in biology

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