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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. squash — the sport
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. file — a tool
  6. face — part of the head
  7. squash — to crush
  8. press — a publisher
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. current — of water
  12. season — in sport
  13. ball — a great time
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. current — electric
  18. file — a document
  19. face — to confront
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. file — a line of people
  22. current — happening now
  23. face — to point toward
  24. season — to add flavour

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