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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. firm — steady
  3. current — of water
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. firm — decided
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. firm — a company
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. clip — a video
  13. current — happening now
  14. hand — in cards
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. clip — for paper
  21. current — electric
  22. hand — help
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fan — a supporter

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