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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. spell — a short time
  3. current — of water
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. spell — magic
  6. current — electric
  7. stem — to come from
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bound — certain
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — a publisher
  18. current — happening now
  19. spell — letters
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cap — a hat

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