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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. drill — a practice
  3. land — to come down
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — to push
  6. spring — of water
  7. firm — a company
  8. current — of water
  9. firm — decided
  10. land — a country
  11. current — happening now
  12. drill — the tool
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bulb — for light
  15. land — ground
  16. kid — child
  17. spring — the season
  18. kid — to tease
  19. press — a publisher
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. firm — steady
  22. current — electric
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. drill — army training

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