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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pop — soda
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — to push
  5. current — of water
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. current — electric
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — hasty
  13. kick — in football
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. current — happening now
  17. fall — the season
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pop — music
  23. rash — a series
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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