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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. current — happening now
  3. object — an aim
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. spring — the season
  6. press — to push
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spring — of water
  12. cue — for pool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lie — to recline
  16. current — of water
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. current — electric
  22. object — a thing
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — an untruth

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