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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cue — a hint
  4. current — electric
  5. snap — to click
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cue — for pool
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. foot — a measure
  10. current — happening now
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. hand — help
  14. craft — a skill
  15. current — of water
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cue — a signal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hand — in cards
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. craft — boats

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