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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. band — a ring
  3. tube — the underground
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. plane — a tool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. land — to come down
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. land — ground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. current — electric
  15. band — a music group
  16. land — a country
  17. snap — to click
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. press — to push
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. current — of water
  22. press — newspapers
  23. current — happening now
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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