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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. current — of water
  3. stock — shares
  4. current — happening now
  5. press — newspapers
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cold — not warm
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. current — electric
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stock — goods

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