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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spring — the season
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spring — of water
  7. current — of water
  8. net — in sport
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. current — happening now
  14. net — after costs
  15. cue — a signal
  16. current — electric
  17. press — to push
  18. net — for catching
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spring — a coil

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