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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. current — electric
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. bass — the fish
  9. current — happening now
  10. net — after costs
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mark — a trace
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bass — low 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