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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. court — of law
  3. bank — of a river
  4. band — a music group
  5. court — of a king
  6. face — part of the head
  7. race — the arms race
  8. band — a ring
  9. race — humankind
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. race — a contest
  14. current — electric
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — to confront
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. face — to point toward
  21. press — a publisher
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. court — for sport
  24. bank — for money

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