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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.

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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: spring · press · rest · snap · fan · current · kid · deal

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. snap — to click
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — to handle
  6. kid — child
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. press — to push
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. current — of water
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. spring — a coil
  19. current — electric
  20. rest — a break
  21. current — happening now
  22. spring — of water
  23. press — a publisher
  24. kid — to tease

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