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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. current — of water
  4. land — ground
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — to push
  7. current — happening now
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. object — an aim
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. content — happy
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pit — in a race
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. object — to protest
  18. snap — to click
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. content — the amount
  21. object — a thing
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. land — to come down
  24. current — electric

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