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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. press — newspapers
  3. current — of water
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. content — the amount
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. court — of law
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. last — to go on
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. last — final
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. current — happening now
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rash — hasty
  19. court — for sport
  20. content — happy
  21. rash — a series
  22. court — of a king
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. last — finally

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