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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. press — a publisher
  9. band — a music group
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. press — to push
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. press — newspapers
  18. band — a ring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — a division
  21. rush — hurry
  22. current — of water
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. deal — an agreement

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