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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. press — to push
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. current — electric
  5. press — a publisher
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. current — of water
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. press — newspapers
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. can — a tin
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. capital — a city
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. capital — money
  23. current — happening now
  24. fork — in a road

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