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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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 — of water
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. current — electric
  6. chest — of your body
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bat — the animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. press — to push
  18. ground — crushed
  19. chest — a box
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pound — a weight
  22. ground — a position
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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