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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: fan · club · press · fine · clip · mine · suit · wind

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — a group
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mine — for digging
  15. suit — clothes
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. clip — a video
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. press — to push
  21. club — for golf
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fine — high quality

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