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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. press — a publisher
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. current — happening now
  7. ball — a great time
  8. firm — steady
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. firm — decided
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. squash — to crush
  17. firm — a company
  18. press — newspapers
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. press — to push
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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