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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. current — electric
  5. pop — to visit
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bat — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pop — soda
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pop — music
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. board — a committee
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. current — happening now
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. board — to get on

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