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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. current — electric
  3. suit — to fit
  4. season — in sport
  5. current — happening now
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bark — to shout
  11. file — a tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. suit — in cards
  17. current — of water
  18. file — a document
  19. press — to push
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. season — of the year

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