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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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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. current — of water
  3. net — for catching
  4. rash — hasty
  5. net — after costs
  6. current — electric
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bat — the animal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. current — happening now
  11. plane — a tool
  12. content — the amount
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. press — to push
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. content — happy
  19. press — a publisher
  20. net — in sport
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rash — a series

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