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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.

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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. date — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wind — moving air
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. press — newspapers
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. press — to push
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. current — happening now
  14. game — wild animals
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. current — of water
  17. game — a match
  18. wind — moving air
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — electric
  24. press — a publisher

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