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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 124 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. current — of water
  4. press — a publisher
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. current — electric
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. current — happening now
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. press — to push
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chest — of your body
  24. plane — a tool

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