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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. spring — of water
  3. stock — shares
  4. face — to point toward
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. spring — a coil
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rash — a series
  10. current — of water
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stock — goods
  16. spring — the season
  17. mug — a face
  18. face — to confront
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. press — to push
  22. face — part of the head
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mug — a cup

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