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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. current — of water
  3. bank — of a river
  4. current — happening now
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ball — a dance
  7. press — to push
  8. squash — the sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — a publisher
  12. squash — to crush
  13. current — electric
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. snap — to click
  16. bank — for money
  17. last — final
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. last — to go on
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ball — a great time
  23. last — finally
  24. press — newspapers

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