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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wound — an injury
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fall — the season
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — a trail
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. current — electric
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — for tennis

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