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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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pop — soda
  3. wind — moving air
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pop — music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spring — the season
  12. current — happening now
  13. press — to push
  14. charge — electricity
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. current — electric
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. current — of water

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