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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rush — hurry
  8. firm — decided
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chip — to eat
  17. current — happening now
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. tear — from crying
  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