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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. branch — a division
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. press — to push
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. current — electric
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — high quality
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. current — of water
  17. file — a tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. file — a document
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fine — all right
  22. file — a line of people
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. press — a publisher

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