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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. press — to push
  3. band — a music group
  4. current — happening now
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. press — newspapers
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. press — a publisher
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. current — of water
  11. season — in sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cell — a phone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. snap — to click
  18. season — of the year
  19. current — electric
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cell — in biology
  24. band — a ring

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