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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. current — of water
  3. root — of a plant
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. mine — for digging
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. press — to push
  11. spell — a short time
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — the cause
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. root — of a word
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. press — a publisher
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — to keep secret

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