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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. press — to push
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pop — soda
  8. track — a song
  9. mug — to rob
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. press — newspapers
  12. current — electric
  13. pop — to visit
  14. press — a publisher
  15. current — happening now
  16. track — to keep track
  17. current — of water
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. kid — to tease
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. track — a path
  22. mine — for digging
  23. kid — child
  24. pop — music

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