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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. tube — a container
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — happening now
  8. suit — in cards
  9. current — electric
  10. wound — an injury
  11. roll — a list
  12. press — newspapers
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. chest — of your body
  18. roll — a cake
  19. current — of water
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tube — the underground
  22. press — to push
  23. suit — clothes
  24. press — a publisher

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