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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. spring — of water
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. spring — the season
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. spring — a coil
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. content — the amount
  13. roll — a cake
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. roll — a list
  18. current — electric
  19. content — happy
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. press — newspapers
  22. current — happening now
  23. press — to push
  24. cabinet — ministers

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