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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. current — electric
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. current — of water
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cold — not warm
  9. press — newspapers
  10. current — happening now
  11. cold — an illness
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bear — the animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bear — the animal

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