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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. net — after costs
  3. spell — letters
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. current — electric
  7. net — in sport
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. current — happening now
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spell — magic
  16. rock — music
  17. net — for catching
  18. fall — the season
  19. spell — a short time
  20. current — of water
  21. fall — to drop
  22. press — to push
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — to drop

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