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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · fan · stem · press · racket · fork · lean · snap

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. current — happening now
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. stem — to come from
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. press — newspapers
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lean — thin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to bend
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fork — in a road
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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