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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. current — electric
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fine — high quality
  5. last — finally
  6. current — happening now
  7. last — final
  8. fine — all right
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — to visit
  11. press — newspapers
  12. last — to go on
  13. kick — in football
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pop — music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cue — for pool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. current — of water
  22. press — to push
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fine — a penalty

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