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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wound — an injury
  3. spell — magic
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. rest — a break
  7. present — a gift
  8. current — of water
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. present — the time now
  11. spell — letters
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. present — there
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. dip — to sink
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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