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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. shower — to wash
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pop — soda
  7. press — to push
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tube — a container
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stem — to come from
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tube — the underground
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. shower — rain
  18. pop — to visit
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pop — music
  23. current — happening now
  24. perch — for a bird

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