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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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Word bank
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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kid — child
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — electric
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. press — a publisher
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. current — happening now
  17. kid — to tease
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cold — not warm
  20. current — of water
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. press — to push
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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