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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. present — a gift
  5. firm — decided
  6. press — a publisher
  7. firm — steady
  8. hand — help
  9. present — the time now
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — there
  13. firm — a company
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. press — newspapers
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. press — to push
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. current — electric

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