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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wound — an injury
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. press — newspapers
  11. current — electric
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — child
  15. press — a publisher
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — thin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. press — to push
  23. current — happening now
  24. lean — to bend

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