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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rest — a break
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cap — of ice
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rest — what's left
  11. squash — the sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. current — electric
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cap — a hat
  22. press — to push
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cap — a lid

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