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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. press — to push
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. field — farmland
  5. land — a country
  6. spell — letters
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. field — for sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — electric
  13. field — a subject
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. land — to come down
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. current — happening now
  18. bear — the animal
  19. land — ground
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spell — a short time
  22. press — newspapers
  23. spell — magic
  24. current — of water

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