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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. spell — magic
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. current — happening now
  7. rule — government
  8. current — of water
  9. rule — a law
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — a container
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. current — electric
  17. spell — letters
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. snap — to click
  20. net — after costs
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. tube — the underground
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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