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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. tube — the underground
  4. can — a tin
  5. last — finally
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. present — a gift
  9. press — to push
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. current — of water
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. last — final
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. can — to be able to
  16. tube — a container
  17. can — a tin
  18. present — there
  19. current — electric
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mine — for digging
  22. press — a publisher
  23. current — happening now
  24. last — to go on

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