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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. field — farmland
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lie — to recline
  6. press — to push
  7. field — a subject
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. press — newspapers
  14. current — of water
  15. pop — music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. snap — to click
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. field — for sport
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bear — the animal

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