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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. band — a ring
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. staff — employees
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — happening now
  10. rest — a break
  11. wind — moving air
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wind — moving air
  14. staff — a stick
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. band — a music group
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a dance
  22. staff — employees
  23. rest — what's left
  24. press — to push

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