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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. land — to come down
  3. spring — of water
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pop — soda
  6. current — of water
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. current — happening now
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pop — music
  12. land — ground
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rush — hurry
  16. current — electric
  17. pop — to visit
  18. land — a country
  19. press — a publisher
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. spring — a coil
  22. press — to push
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spring — the season

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