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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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wound — an injury
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — a publisher
  15. current — of water
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. press — to push
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fall — the season
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. current — happening now

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