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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. charge — in control
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. spring — of water
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. charge — a price
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. spring — the season
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. snap — to click
  24. charge — electricity

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