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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spring — of water
  4. mug — a face
  5. press — to push
  6. current — electric
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. current — of water
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. suit — to fit
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hand — in cards
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mug — a cup
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. suit — clothes
  24. current — happening now

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