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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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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. face — to confront
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. face — to point toward
  7. craft — boats
  8. press — newspapers
  9. current — electric
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bound — tied together
  15. current — of water
  16. craft — a skill
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wound — an injury
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bound — certain
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wave — of the sea

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