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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 120 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. current — electric
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. current — happening now
  5. band — a music group
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. track — a path
  12. press — to push
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chest — a box
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mark — a grade
  22. current — of water
  23. mark — a trace
  24. press — a publisher

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