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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rest — a break
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bound — obliged
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — a leader
  9. march — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. capital — a city
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bound — certain
  17. capital — money
  18. current — happening now
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wax — to grow
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. march — the month
  23. press — to push
  24. current — electric

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