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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pop — music
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. suit — to fit
  5. current — happening now
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to sink
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pop — to visit
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. snap — to click
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pop — soda
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. suit — clothes
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. press — a publisher
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lash — an eyelash

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