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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. face — part of the head
  3. current — happening now
  4. shower — to wash
  5. craft — boats
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. key — for a lock
  11. current — of water
  12. face — to point toward
  13. shower — rain
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. current — electric
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. face — to confront
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. key — in 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