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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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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. 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. spring — a coil
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. drill — a practice
  5. current — electric
  6. cell — in biology
  7. drill — army training
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spring — the season
  11. drill — the tool
  12. spring — of water
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. current — happening now
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cell — a phone
  18. current — of water

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