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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. content — happy
  5. saw — the tool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. press — newspapers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. press — to push
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wake — a trail
  24. current — electric

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