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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chest — of your body
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. press — to push
  5. current — electric
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pop — to visit
  8. chest — a box
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. pop — soda
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chest — of your body
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. current — of water
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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