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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. press — to push
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cell — a phone
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. current — of water
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. press — a publisher
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. press — newspapers

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