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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. press — a publisher
  5. current — electric
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bass — low music
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bass — the fish
  18. roll — a list
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. kid — child
  22. current — happening now
  23. press — to push
  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