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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 120 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: game · press · craft · ground · rock · rest · wave · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. press — to push
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rock — a stone
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. craft — a skill
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. game — a match
  13. rest — a break
  14. ground — the earth
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rock — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. press — a publisher
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ground — a position
  24. rest — what's left

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