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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. object — a thing
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. press — newspapers
  6. squash — to crush
  7. press — a publisher
  8. current — of water
  9. band — a music group
  10. object — an aim
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rush — hurry
  13. current — happening now
  14. object — to protest
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. band — a ring
  18. shower — rain
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. press — to push
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. squash — the vegetable

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