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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cell — a phone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. press — a publisher
  12. current — of water
  13. press — to push
  14. current — electric
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cold — an illness
  17. rest — a break
  18. cold — not warm
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. toast — bread
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cold — the Cold War

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