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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 116 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. press — to push
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rock — music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rest — a break
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rock — a stone
  23. current — electric
  24. wind — to turn a key

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