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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. press — newspapers
  11. field — a subject
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — electric
  16. press — to push
  17. current — of water
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. current — happening now

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