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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. press — a publisher
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. net — after costs
  7. press — newspapers
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. net — for catching
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. current — happening now
  18. press — to push
  19. net — in sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — to sink
  24. arm — a part of something

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