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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. current — electric
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rash — hasty
  8. present — the time now
  9. press — to push
  10. present — a gift
  11. bound — obliged
  12. present — there
  13. current — of water
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rash — a series
  20. bound — certain
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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