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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — happening now
  5. stand — to bear
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. object — an aim
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. object — a thing
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. squash — to crush
  13. current — electric
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. lie — to recline
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. press — to push
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. current — of water

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