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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mark — a grade
  3. kid — child
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. shower — rain
  6. current — happening now
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. press — to push
  13. shower — to wash
  14. press — newspapers
  15. kid — to tease
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mark — a trace
  18. press — a publisher
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. current — of water
  22. snap — to click
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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