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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rock — a stone
  3. clip — a video
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. current — electric
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. current — of water
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rush — hurry
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rock — music
  15. press — to push
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. row — to paddle
  18. clip — for paper
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. press — a publisher
  21. vault — a safe
  22. current — happening now
  23. row — a line
  24. press — newspapers

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