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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. face — to confront
  5. last — to go on
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. present — a gift
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fork — in a road
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. press — a publisher
  17. present — the time now
  18. current — happening now
  19. last — finally
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. press — to push
  22. last — final
  23. face — part of the head
  24. present — there

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