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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. current — electric
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wake — a trail
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. current — happening now
  13. prune — to trim
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. current — of water
  16. prune — to trim
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. band — a music group
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wound — an injury
  23. band — a ring
  24. press — newspapers

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