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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. current — electric
  3. fork — in a road
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. current — happening now
  7. press — a publisher
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. current — of water
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. swing — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. press — newspapers
  15. swing — to play on
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. shower — to wash
  24. swing — in golf

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