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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. current — of water
  6. press — a publisher
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. kick — in football
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. current — electric
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. press — newspapers
  17. band — a ring
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — happening now
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. press — to push
  24. band — a music group

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