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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. present — there
  3. last — final
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. last — to go on
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rush — hurry
  14. current — of water
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. current — electric
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. press — to push
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. current — happening now
  23. last — finally
  24. press — a publisher

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