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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fall — to drop
  8. press — a publisher
  9. spell — magic
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ground — a position
  12. kick — in football
  13. ground — the earth
  14. press — to push
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — electric
  17. rock — music
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fall — the season
  22. rock — a stone
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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