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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. current — of water
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. spell — magic
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. season — in sport
  9. press — to push
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. snap — to click
  12. spell — letters
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. firm — a company
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. firm — decided
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — happening now
  21. spell — a short time
  22. season — of the year
  23. press — newspapers
  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