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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · rock · kick · current · clip · fan · press · sharp

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spring — the season
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. spring — a coil
  6. current — electric
  7. rock — music
  8. press — a publisher
  9. kick — in football
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. clip — a video
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — newspapers
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. clip — to cut
  16. sharp — clever
  17. current — happening now
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rock — a stone
  20. press — to push
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. clip — for paper
  23. spring — of water
  24. current — of water

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