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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. press — to push
  4. hand — in cards
  5. press — newspapers
  6. dip — to sink
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. current — electric
  9. race — a contest
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. tube — a container
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. current — happening now
  15. race — the arms race
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. tube — the underground
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. hand — help
  20. race — humankind
  21. deal — to handle
  22. press — a publisher
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — in a tire

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