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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — to play on
  5. land — to come down
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. current — happening now
  8. land — a country
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. branch — a division
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. current — electric
  15. swing — in golf
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. land — ground
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — to push
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. press — newspapers
  24. branch — of a bank

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