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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. current — electric
  6. pound — a weight
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. current — happening now
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. press — a publisher
  14. branch — a division
  15. press — newspapers
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. press — to push

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