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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rule — a law
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rule — government
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. degree — temperature
  15. current — electric
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. press — to push
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. lean — thin
  24. wound — an injury

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