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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mate — to breed
  3. current — of water
  4. mate — a partner
  5. current — happening now
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — magic
  8. mate — a friend
  9. spring — the season
  10. press — a publisher
  11. kick — in football
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spring — of water
  16. press — to push
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. spring — a coil
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. spell — letters

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