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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. press — a publisher
  3. current — electric
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mark — a trace
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. current — of water
  11. press — to push
  12. mark — a grade
  13. current — happening now
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fine — high quality
  16. roll — a cake
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. roll — a list
  21. sharp — clever
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mark — to pay attention

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