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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. current — of water
  3. lean — thin
  4. firm — steady
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. current — happening now
  10. firm — a company
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. press — a publisher
  13. content — the amount
  14. march — the month
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. capital — money
  17. firm — decided
  18. march — music
  19. snap — to click
  20. press — newspapers
  21. march — the month
  22. press — to push
  23. capital — a city
  24. current — electric

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