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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: roll · fan · hide · press · club · capital · mouse · wake

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. capital — a city
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. club — for dancing
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. roll — a list
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. capital — money
  20. club — for golf
  21. press — a publisher
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. club — a group

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