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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 116 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: fork · fall · suit · rash · bowl · cap · fan · press

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rash — a series
  5. press — to push
  6. cap — of ice
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fall — the season
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rash — hasty
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cap — a lid

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