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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 124 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. snap — to click
  4. press — newspapers
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. charge — electricity
  7. current — happening now
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. charge — in control
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — a price
  14. dip — to sink
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. current — of water
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. date — the fruit
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. current — electric
  24. dip — to dunk

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