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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. current — electric
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. current — of water
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cell — in biology
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. march — the month
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. march — music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. press — a publisher
  18. march — the month
  19. press — newspapers
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cell — a phone
  22. press — to push
  23. pop — to visit
  24. snap — to click

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