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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. current — electric
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. press — a publisher
  5. face — part of the head
  6. present — the time now
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. press — to push
  10. swing — music
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. face — to confront
  13. press — newspapers
  14. current — happening now
  15. object — a thing
  16. current — of water
  17. object — to protest
  18. present — a gift
  19. swing — to play on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. present — there
  22. swing — in golf
  23. face — to point toward
  24. object — an aim

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