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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. current — of water
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. game — a match
  12. kick — in football
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. press — to push
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — electric
  21. press — newspapers
  22. current — happening now
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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