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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. charge — in control
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wake — a trail
  5. can — a tin
  6. press — to push
  7. face — to confront
  8. can — to be able to
  9. current — happening now
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. current — electric
  12. charge — a price
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — electricity
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pit — in a race
  17. face — to point toward
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pit — a hole
  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