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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. press — to push
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bound — certain
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. current — happening now
  9. craft — boats
  10. bound — obliged
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cap — a lid
  24. craft — a skill

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