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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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. current — happening now
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — letters
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. press — a publisher
  12. net — in sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — newspapers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. press — to push
  17. rock — a stone
  18. spell — a short time
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. net — after costs
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. net — for catching
  23. spell — magic
  24. rock — music

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