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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mate — to breed
  4. present — a gift
  5. current — happening now
  6. present — there
  7. fall — to drop
  8. press — a publisher
  9. present — the time now
  10. firm — steady
  11. clip — to cut
  12. staff — employees
  13. mate — a partner
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fall — the season
  17. staff — employees
  18. press — newspapers
  19. clip — a video
  20. firm — decided
  21. current — of water
  22. press — to push
  23. clip — for paper
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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