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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. press — newspapers
  4. prune — to trim
  5. land — a country
  6. press — to push
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. drill — a practice
  11. press — a publisher
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. drill — the tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — happening now
  21. drill — army training
  22. current — of water
  23. wave — with your hand
  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